The Illinois Farm Bureau is applauding the new U.S. and Mexican Trade Agreement announced on Monday. ‘’Illinois Farm Bureau applauds U.S. and Mexican trade negotiators for reaching an agreement to begin modernizing NAFTA, providing economic stability and maintaining tariff-free Mexican market access for roughly $40-billion dollars worth of U.S. agricultural exports,’’ said Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert, Jr. ‘’We’re also pleased to see the upgraded agreement addresses biotechnology and trade-distorting policies,’’ he added.
‘’Illinois farmers export 40-percent of our corn, 6 to 10 percent of our dairy, one-seventh of our beef and roughly a third of our pork to our North American neighbors,’’ added Guebert. At a time of declining prices and net farm income, Illinois farmers are gratified to see progress toward expanding our already strong, complimentary trade relationship with Mexico and look forward to moving swiftly to ratify the agreement.’’
‘’Finally, we ask the administration to continue negotiations with Canada so our trading relationship might be restored and NAFTA fully modernized.’’
