The National Poultry Farmers Union (UNA) made four recommendations to the White House Trade Representative (USTR) on the poultry industry as part of the joint review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
Its proposals aim to maximize synergies between the agricultural, poultry, and egg sectors of both countries, take advantage of the industry’s global growth, benefit U.S. and Mexican consumers, and strengthen regional food security.
Poultry industry in the USMCA
In a letter sent to the USTR, the UNA requested the following:
- Ensure risk-based regionalization.
- Establish a clear roadmap with defined timelines for FSIS equivalence (equivalence of inspection systems).
- Institutionalize timetable commitments for APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)/FSIS determinations and procedures.
- Collaborate with USMCA partners to maintain science-based access to U.S. feed inputs (e.g., genetically modified corn and soybeans) critical to the affordability of poultry and eggs throughout North America.
Animal health
From the UNA’s perspective, these measures would expand bilateral trade, reduce the dependence of the United States and Mexico on extra-regional suppliers, and maintain the affordability of poultry and eggs, benefiting US and Mexican consumers and farmers and reinforcing the integrity of the USMCA.
One-way trade
Despite the absence of tariffs, trade has been one-way. The 2019-2024 period shows strong U.S. exports to Mexico and limited Mexican exports to the United States.
Mexican imports of broiler chicken increased from 567,864 tons (2019) to 694,096 (2024). The United States remains Mexico’s main supplier, with Brazil and Chile as important suppliers.
Meanwhile, Mexican exports to the United States were minimal (e.g., approximately 5.7 tons in 2024, mainly processed/cooked product).
The UNA argued that this asymmetry is not due to tariffs or quotas, but rather to difficulties in implementing sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, which prevent raw Mexican poultry from entering the U.S. market.