McSally Leads Bipartisan Letter Urging Administration to Keep Seasonality Provision Out of USMCA

Statement

U.S. Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ) led a bipartisan, bicameral letter urging the Administration protect American consumers and farmers by keeping a "seasonality" provision out of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

In a letter sent to U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, McSally and her colleagues from Arizona, Texas, and California express their opposition to the inclusion of any seasonality provision in legislation implementing the USMCA. The provision could make certain agricultural products subject to numerous seasonal and regional dumping duties at various times throughout the year.

"Cross-border commerce with Mexico is critical to Arizona's economy and workforce," said McSally. "Any seasonality provision incorporated into the USMCA would negatively impact Arizona's hardworking families with higher costs at the grocery store and dinner table. I have expressed my opposition to such a provision to the Administration and will continue to fight for Arizona jobs and families."

"We were pleased that a seasonality provision was not included in USMCA when the agreement was finalized by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada last year," the members wrote. "We strongly oppose the inclusion of any agriculture seasonality provisions in USCMA implementing legislation, as they would run counter to consumer preferences, undermine the spirit of the trinational free trade agreement, and harm U.S. industries in order to artificially support a small segment of regional growers' interests."

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