Courtesy of the National Pork Producers Council
While indicating she was eager to complete passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tempered expectations on Thursday, saying a vote may not occur until next year. “I’m not even sure if we came to an agreement today that it would be enough time to finish [this year], but just depends on how much agreement we come to,” she said. The U.S. House is in recess next week for the Thanksgiving holiday and there are a limited number of days that Congress is in session through the end of the year. Pelosi met Thursday with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) to discuss the progress of USMCA ratification. No agreement was reached, but a spokesman for Pelosi said the meeting was productive. “Progress was made in narrowing the differences, and work continues. We can reach an agreement on USMCA when the Trade Representative makes the agreement enforceable for American workers.” Several issues, including labor enforcement, remain unresolved. Since the trade agreement was signed last November, NPPC and its members have been aggressively working to ensure ratification, allowing the U.S. pork industry to maintain zero-duty market access to two of its largest export markets. NPPC urges Congress to quickly reach consensus on any outstanding issues and swiftly bring USMCA up for a vote.