News

R-CALF disappointed in USMCA deal

The head of R-CALF USA says the USMCA deal is NOT good for U.S. cattle producers. Bill Bullard says they’re very concerned.

“We thought that when the renegotiations started that there was going to be some reforms in the trade of cattle and beef. But, as it turns out, the new agreement has the identical terms that were in the North American Free Trade Agreement for the trade in cattle and beef.”

Bullard says 20% of U.S. cattle producers have been lost since NAFTA went into effect and 75% of feedlots have been lost, shrinking the U.S. cattle herd by seven-Million head, “And so what this agreement really does is simply expands the availability of cattle for the multi-national meatpackers.”

Bullard says the cattle and beef trade deficit with Canada and Mexico will continue under the renegotiated USMCA, hurting U.S. producers and consumers.

Bullard says they asked Congress and President Trump to restore mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) in the revised agreement to no avail. R-CALF is urging Congress to vote the USMCA down “in its present form.”