Happy Canada Day!

July 1 is Canada Day, the national day of Canada. The holiday celebrates the anniversary of July 1, 1867, the effective date of the Constitution Act, 1867, which united the three separate colonies of the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick into a single Dominion within a single Dominion within the British Empire called Canada.

Canada is an incredibly valuable trading partner for American corn farmers. Our northern neighbors are the No. 9 international buyer of U.S. corn, No. 8 buyer of U.S. DDGs and No. 2 buyer of U.S. ethanol. Canada purchased more than $2 billion worth of feed grains in all forms during the 2017/2018 marketing year.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) strengthened this important trading relationship, tripling U.S. agriculture exports to Canada over the past 20 years. Now, through the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), we have an opportunity to solidify this relationship further.

Ratifying USMCA continues to be NCGA’s top legislative priority. The new trade agreement will solidify a $4.5 billion export market and provide some certainty to farmers currently facing a perfect storm of challenges. Ratifying USMCA will also instill confidence in other nations that the United States is a reliable partner and supplier, ensuring U.S. agriculture remains competitive for generations to come.