The recent round of North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations saw progress on agriculture issues. Negotiators wrapped up discussions regarding sanitary and phytosanitary measures, according to AFBF Economist Veronica Nigh.

“Those are basically the scientific rules that govern trade in plants and animals,” Nigh said in a recent Newsline. “That chapter actually closed and that means negotiations are finished. And, when we spoke with the U.S. negotiators they were pretty happy with the results that they got out of Canada and Mexico.”

The NAFTA chapter on technical barriers to trade, including things such as labeling, is close to being finished. However, there is much work yet to do regarding market access.

Colorado Farm Bureau staff continue to work with local stakeholders in Denver and across Colorado to support the negotiations and build consensus on the importance of the agreement to Colorado farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.