Grassley Leads Iowa Congressional Delegation in Push to Protect Iowa’s Pork Industry and Stabilize Consumer Prices Amid U.S.-Mexico Trade Negotiations

Grassley Leads Iowa Congressional Delegation in Push to Protect Iowa's Pork Industry and Stabilize Consumer Prices Amid U.S.-Mexico Trade Negotiations

Iowa is the nation's leading producer of pork. The United States exported $2.85 billion in pork to Mexico in 2025.

Click HERE for audio of Grassley discussing the letter

BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA - Iowa's congressional delegation, led by U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), is urging the Trump administration to consider the impact of its decision to terminate a trade agreement with Mexico that has threatened Iowa's pork industry and contributed to higher tomato prices for American consumers. The lawmakers are asking the Trump administration to keep Iowa pig farmers and consumers in mind as they negotiate further with Mexico.

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and U.S. Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) and Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) joined Grassley in the letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

In response to the termination of the United States-Mexico Tomato Suspension Agreement (TSA) in July 2025, Mexico's International Commercial Practices Unit launched an antidumping investigation into the American pork industry in December 2025.

"Iowa is the number one pork producing state in the United States," the lawmakers wrote. "[O]ver one million metric tons of [U.S.] pork is exported to Mexico annually, resulting in over $2.85 billion in [U.S. pork] exports [to Mexico] in 2025 alone. This figure has more than doubled in the past six years under the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA)."

The lawmakers praised efforts to protect producers under international trade agreements, citing the administration's successful work in securing record-breaking ethanol exports, beef exports to Australia and diversified soybean export markets.

"The removal of the TSA, however, has led to negative outcomes for Iowans," the lawmakers continued. "The looming threat of retaliation from our number one export market creates a chilling effect on the pork industry that already faces headwinds domestically due to state regulations like California's Proposition 12."

Since the termination of the agreement, tomato prices increased 6.8% from September 2025 to September 2026, nearly double the rate of overall inflation. Tomatoes are the second highest consumed vegetable product in the United States.

"As negotiations continue with Mexico, we ask that you consider the impacts of seasonality disputes previously addressed in the TSA on Iowa pig farmers and United States covered tomato producers. We appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to continuing to work with you to strengthen American production and consumer prices through trade," the lawmakers concluded.

The letter is supported by the National Pork Producers Council.

"We appreciate Senator Grassley and the Iowa delegation standing up for Iowa's pork producers and recognizing the serious trade risks they now face. Mexico is the largest export market for U.S. pork, and the antidumping investigation currently underway creates real uncertainty for producers who depend on that critical market. We welcome the delegation's leadership in urging the administration to protect American pork producers as it works with Mexico to resolve these trade issues and preserve our industry's strong, stable trading relationship," said Rob Brenneman, National Pork Producers Council President and Washington County pork producer.

In September, Grassley and Ernst joined every Republican member of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee to advance the Farm Bill to the Senate floor. Every Democrat on the committee voted against the Farm Bill.

The full text of the letter can be found HERE.

Audio of Grassley discussing the letter can be found HERE.

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