A Productive Day of Discussion with North American Leaders

On Tuesday, we kicked off the 20th Tri-National Agricultural Accord in Grapevine, Texas. I’m honored to be the host for this important conference and am proud that this is the first time the Accord has been held in our beautiful Lone Star State.

Yesterday, I co-chaired the Tri-National Agricultural Accord Rural Development working group, which was comprised of agriculture commissioners from the United States, Canada and Mexico. At the meeting, we discussed an innovative project between the business community in Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, a border city located in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. The project coordinates the economic development efforts of both cities to create a powerful strategy for the enhancement of trade, jobs and the security of both our countries. This was a productive discussion and one I look forward to continuing with our trading partners in Mexico.



Earlier in the day, I participated in a meeting with all three countries to ensure agricultural trade and business can continue to flow freely, and that Mexico, the United States and Canada are able to trade on a level playing field. These working groups are extremely important, and good things have come from them in the past, including:
1) The live importation of beef cattle into Mexico from the United States and Canada.
2) An agreement between the United States and Canada to allow for the production and marketing of organic products to be sold as organic in both countries.
3) A resolution of the cross-border trucking issue to allow for trade to move more quickly across the border with oversight of certified and inspected trucks.

Tonight, we are in for a real treat as former Mexican President Vicente Fox will offer the keynote address. His experience should provide valuable insight into how we can all work together toward the mutual benefit of the United States, Mexico and Canada.

U.S./Mexico Trade Agreement Ends Harmful Tariffs

Trade equals jobs and a new agreement to reduce trade tariffs on U.S. and Texas products entering Mexico will help level the playing field and remove the unfair burden placed on the backs of our hardworking farmers and ranchers.

Nearly two decades after the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the political shenanigans that followed, an agreement has finally been reached on cross-border trucking between the United States and Mexico. This agreement, finalized today, will reduce harmful tariffs Mexico imposed on 99 U.S. products exported to our southern neighbor.

Safety is the No. 1 priority for the cross-border trucking program. Every Mexican truck that crosses the border will receive an inspection and have to follow the same safety guidelines as U.S. trucks.

Mexico is Texas’ No.1 international trading partner with $73 billion in total Texas goods and services exported south of the border in 2010. Through April 2011, year-to-date exports from Texas to Mexico have totaled $27 billion. A secure cross-border passageway between the United States and Mexico supports American jobs and expands market access for the export-dependent agriculture industry.

Congratulations to native Texan Ron Kirk, United States Trade Representative, for his work in hammering out the agreement.

Texas Trading Partners Await Response from D.C.

In a show of support to expand Texas and U.S. exports while enhancing global free trade and goodwill, two action items I introduced yesterday at the Marketing & International Trade Forum during the annual National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) conference in Washington D.C. were adopted. This is encouraging news as these items move toward a final vote on Thursday.

At stake are policies that would greatly improve U.S. and Texas trade relations with Mexico, South Korea, Colombia and Panama. In the case of Mexico, we hope to improve Mexican trucking safety standards while easing the mutual passage of exports between the United States and our neighbor south of the border. In doing so, we can abolish outdated retaliatory Mexican tariffs that currently penalize American exports. It only makes sense to re-establish harmonious cross-border trucking relations with one of our closest neighbors – especially when you consider this was a commitment the U.S. made in the 1990s. And the recent talk among NASDA representatives seems to indicate a majority is in agreement that the administration and Congress should move promptly toward this resolution.

The same seems to be true with regard to South Korea, Colombia and Panama who are waiting with welcome arms to embrace more quality U.S. and Texas products. A NASDA representative from South Korea went so far yesterday as to call American farmers the most productive, proficient and profitable in the world. An endorsement like that sounds like an opportunity to me, and as demand for American exports increases in South Korea, Colombia and Panama, I urge our administration and Congress to seize these opportunities on behalf of U.S. and Texas farmers, as well as our nation’s economy. The negotiating work has already been done, and our economy supports opening these markets to our product. Why should Washington delay this progress?

With so much at stake in Thursday’s vote, I’m encouraged to see my fellow NASDA representatives working together to create opportunities for a brighter future for Texas and U.S. exports. Let’s hope our federal government will join us in doing the same.