WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD NEWS) — Agricultural trade remained a major focus on Capitol Hill this week as U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer testified before Congress on the administration’s trade agenda.
Greer told lawmakers the ongoing review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) extends beyond market access and includes several broader issues with Mexico, including compliance with the 1944 U.S.-Mexico Water Treaty.
“There are some, what I would call, load-bearing pillars in USMCA,” Greer said. “We’ve talked about ag market access, services access and a variety of things where we haven’t seen issues. But where we have seen issues, we’re already in the process of fixing them.”
Greer noted that while enforcement of the water treaty falls primarily under the State Department’s jurisdiction, the issue remains a priority for the Trump administration.
“It is clear from President Trump’s perspective that if we want to have a beneficial trading relationship with Mexico and have some kind of arrangement with them, they also need to be playing ball on this issue,” Greer said. “The president is going to have a hard time agreeing to a renewal or even revisions if Mexico isn’t playing ball in all areas, and the water treaty is one of them.”
Lamb Import Investigation Moves Forward
Lawmakers also questioned Greer about efforts to support the domestic sheep industry following a request for a federal investigation into imported lamb.
Greer said the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has launched a safeguard investigation to determine whether increased imports have seriously injured U.S. producers.
“I met with farmers who literally were crying tears of joy that this had been initiated,” Greer said. “The ITC, in coming months, will initiate this investigation. They will ask the domestic industry and the importers for information, so they can determine: Was there a surge in imports? Is there serious injury to the industry? If so, they can make a recommendation back to our office and to the president.”
The ITC is expected to hold a public hearing in October before issuing its determination in November. If the commission finds imported lamb has caused serious injury to the domestic industry, it could recommend temporary import restrictions or other safeguard measures to the president.
