Smith Leads Bipartisan Effort to Address Mexico’s Non-Tariff Trade Barriers

Today, Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE-03), chair of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, led a bipartisan letter with his Agriculture Trade Caucus co-chairs U.S. Representatives Jim Costa (D-CA-21), Dusty Johnson (R-SD-AL), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19), and 13 of their colleagues urging the Trump Administration to address Mexico's burdensome non-tariff barriers affecting U.S. grain exports during the ongoing review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, lawmakers raised concerns about Mexico's National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety, and Quality subjecting U.S. grain shipments to duplicative inspections despite those shipments already meeting established phytosanitary requirements.

The lawmakers emphasized that U.S. grain exports to Mexico are routinely inspected by the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) or its designated agencies, which verify shipment quality and compliance with Mexico's import standards. Nevertheless, Mexican authorities continue to stop and reinspect grain shipments at the border under a zero-tolerance soil standard that differs significantly from U.S. practices.

The lawmakers write: "In 2025, Mexico alone purchased more than $12 billion in U.S. grain and oilseed products. Currently, U.S. grain moving to Mexico is officially inspected by the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) or one of its designated agencies. These inspections confirm the grade and quality of shipments and compliance with Mexico's phytosanitary requirements. Despite this, Mexico's National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety, and Quality stops shuttle trains at the border and reinspects them under a zero-tolerance standard for soil, which differs significantly from U.S. practice. This has real consequences. Reinspection delays trains, increases transportation costs, and often triggers fumigation orders that can cost shippers up to $70,000 per train. Rail carriers may send cars back empty rather than risk delays, and grain companies must purchase additional train capacity to keep supply chains running. These are onerous and duplicative procedures - not science-based protections."

In addition to Smith and his Agriculture Trade Caucus Co-Chairs, the letter was signed by U.S. Representatives Jim Baird (R-IN-04), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-01), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN-07), Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-03), Darin LaHood (R-IL-16), Derek Schmidt (R-KS-02), Tracey Mann (R-KS-01), Mark Messmer (R-IN-08), John Rose (R-TN-06), Mike Flood (R-NE-01), Julie Fedorchak (R-ND-AL), Mike Bost (R-IL-12), and Dan Newhouse (R-WA-04).

Read the full letter here or below:

Dear Ambassador Greer and Secretary Rollins:

Since its adoption, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) has generated numerous benefits for the U.S. food and agriculture sector. We recognize the value of the Agreement's six-year Joint Review to ensure proper oversight, implementation, and enforcement, and urge you to work closely with Congress and stakeholders throughout the process. We see meaningful opportunities to strengthen market access within USMCA, particularly in addressing non-tariff trade barriers related to sanitary and phytosanitary standards and agricultural biotechnology.

Ensuring this trade remains seamless, predictable, and science-based is essential to America's farmers, grain handlers, feed manufacturers, exporters, and transportation partners. Mexico and Canada are two of the most important export markets for U.S. corn, soybeans, wheat, and other commodities. In 2025, Mexico alone purchased more than $12 billion in U.S. grain and oilseed products. Currently, U.S. grain moving to Mexico is officially inspected by the Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) or one of its designated agencies. These inspections confirm the grade and quality of shipments and compliance with Mexico's phytosanitary requirements.

Despite this, Mexico's National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety, and Quality stops shuttle trains at the border and reinspects them under a zero-tolerance standard for soil, which differs significantly from U.S. practice. This has real consequences. Reinspection delays trains, increases transportation costs, and often triggers fumigation orders that can cost shippers up to $70,000 per train. Rail carriers may send cars back empty rather than risk delays, and grain companies must purchase additional train capacity to keep supply chains running. These are onerous and duplicative procedures - not science-based protections. We believe USMCA provides an opportunity to harmonize these inspection procedures to eliminate technical barriers that slow trade and raise costs for both countries.

Additionally, USMCA includes forward-leaning provisions that recognize the importance of innovation and require the parties to manage low-level presence, or LLP, of biotech traits in a predictable and science-based way. While these provisions were a significant step forward, LLP policies have not yet been implemented, and this gap continues to create risk for cross-border grain trade. We strongly encourage USTR, through the Joint Review process, to work with its Canadian and Mexican counterparts to activate the agricultural biotechnology working group established in USMCA, develop and implement clear LLP procedures, and ensure transparent, science-based regulatory processes for both existing and emerging technologies.

USMCA has been an unquestionable success for the U.S. grain and oilseed industry. It has strengthened supply chains, enhanced competitiveness, expanded export opportunities, and contributed meaningfully to economic growth across the continent. We stand ready to support efforts to strengthen USMCA and provide certainty through fully enforcing the existing terms, curbing unfair practices, and addressing outstanding trade barriers that disadvantage American agriculture.