As the Trump administration gears up to review the United States-Mexico-Canda agreement this summer, some corn grower leaders say the stakes could not be higher.
Andy Jobman with Nebraska Corn says the message from ag producers is crystal clear. “Our big thing is do no harm.”
He says the deal has provided decades of predictability and stability “I’ve farmed my entire career under this or NAFTA, its predecessor, and it’s really enabled a lot producers to have stable-market access to our two largest customers in the world.”
Stu Swanson with Iowa Corn says the transportation of ag goods is one of the biggest benefits. “In north-central Iowa, I can see trains loaded with corn in Clarion, Iowa, headed south to the Mexican border and within a few days they’re unloaded at unit-train receiving in Mexico.”
And, he tells Brownfield, the tri-lateral pact addresses regulatory hurdles. “It creates a zero-tariff trade policy for most of our products including our corn and ethanol. It also deals with phytosanitary and sanitary issues. They’re harmonized. It also deals with some of these arbitrary things like the GMO issue that Mexico tried to challenge the U.S. with.”
Both farmers say they are asking for a full, 16-year extension of the agreement. The review process is scheduled to begin July 1, 2026.
