TIPA’s USMCA priority: Preserve the stability of USMCA!
The Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) supports preserving and modernizing USMCA, which has helped create the world’s most integrated agricultural marketplace and supports millions of American jobs across farming, transportation, logistics, warehousing, retail, and manufacturing.
TIPA’s priorities for USMCA modernization are:
• Preserve Trade Certainty: Maintain the stability businesses need to continue investing in North American supply chains and infrastructure. Any updates should follow a “Do No Harm” approach that avoids disrupting integrated agricultural markets.
• Reduce Regulatory Barriers: Improve harmonization of food safety, phytosanitary standards, transportation procedures, and agricultural labor policies to lower costs, increase efficiency, and keep fresh produce affordable for American consumers.
• Ensure Fair Competition: Support a level playing field where all countries compete under comparable standards for labor, food safety, environmental compliance, and other regulations that directly impact production costs. Creating seasonal, regional, or commodity specific protections is essentially the government picking the winners and losers. We want parity and fairness!
• Enforce Existing Commitments: Mexico must meet its obligations under the 1944 Water Treaty, as ongoing water shortages are severely harming South Texas agriculture. TIPA also supports creation of a PACA-like trust mechanism in Mexico to provide reciprocal payment protections for U.S. produce companies.
USMCA has delivered significant economic benefits to the United States and border communities. For every $1 fresh produce imported through Texas, approximately $2.19 is generated in economic activity in the United States. The benefits extend well beyond agriculture and have helped transform border communities like the Rio Grande Valley into major centers for international commerce and investment.
As a result of USMCA, South Texas is now a fresh produce sourcing hub for North America year-round. It’s a single location where national grocery stores can fill their shelves with the combination of domestically grown and internationally sourced, without sending trucks across multiple states. Plus, South Texas can reach any point in the US within 4 days by truck – reducing food miles and minimizing waste.
USMCA’s continued success depends on preserving free trade while ensuring that all parties follow the same rules and honor their commitments. Free trade works best when it is fair, predictable, and consistently enforced.