The following letter urging ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was sent to congressional leaders from nearly 1,000 food and agriculture organizations, including the U.S. Apple Association. Below is a statement from USApple President & CEO Jim Bair regarding swift passage of the USMCA. Bair is a member of a steering committee of CEOs leading the grassroots efforts in support of the USMCA.

“Mexico and Canada are top export markets for apples, totaling nearly a half-billion dollars in annual sales. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is good for apples as it maintains duty-free access and other important provisions from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), including dispute resolution. Apples were a big winner under NAFTA, which quadrupled exports to Mexico and doubled those to Canada. Maintaining these trading partnerships under the USMCA is critical to the health of the apple industry.

“Free trade in the North American market brought billions of dollars in sales to apple growers. It’s not an overstatement to say our vitality depends on continued free trade so we’re calling on Congress to ratify the USMCA as quickly as possible.”

19-June 11 USMCA Grassroots Letter