Meat & Poultry Industry Exports $5.5 Billion Annually to Canada & Mexico
WASHINGTON, DC – The North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) released the following statement on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) entry into force:
“The U.S. meat and poultry industry exports $5.5 billion annually in products to Canada and Mexico,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “This agreement is critical to meat and poultry processors and the millions of U.S. farmers, ranchers, allied manufacturers and transportation companies in the food supply chain.”
Under the previous agreement, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), U.S. meat and poultry exports to Mexico and Canada thrived as import duties were removed and non-scientific barriers to trade were significantly reduced. The North American market for the meat and poultry industry is nearly completely integrated, and this integration is essential to its long-term viability.
Mexico and Canada are among the top four destinations for U.S. beef and pork. Since NAFTA’s entry into force in 1994, U.S. beef exports to Canada and Mexico grew from $656 million to more than $1.75 billion in 2019, while pork exports increased in value from $322 million to more than $2 billion during that same time period. In terms of volume, Canada and Mexico imported nearly 22 percent of total U.S. beef exports and 30 percent of all U.S. pork exports in 2019.
The North American Meat Institute is the leading voice for the meat and poultry industry. The Meat Institute’s members process the vast majority of U.S. beef, pork, lamb, and poultry, as well as manufacture the equipment and ingredients needed to produce the safest and highest quality meat and poultry products.