With the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact under review and a tariff clash with Canada intensifying, agricultural leaders in Fresno County say policymakers should avoid adding new barriers to farm trade across North America.
For the San Joaquin Valley, where farm employment and export sales are central to the economy, that kind of volatility could squeeze growers' options and eventually show up in higher prices for consumers.
Here's what to know
At an event at the Fresno County Farm Bureau, farmers, industry leaders, and public officials argued for preserving dependable trade terms with Canada and Mexico during a key USMCA review. As The Business Journal reported, the discussion unfolded as a separate trade fight between the U.S. and Canada added more pressure to a farm economy already under strain.
The three countries held their first required USMCA review on July 1, and rather than lock in the pact's full 16-year run, they left it in place under yearly check-ins going forward, according to Farmers for Free Trade.
The stakes are especially high in California agriculture. Fresno County grew $9.03 billion worth of crops and livestock in 2024, more than any other county in the nation, according to its own Crop and Livestock Report. Farmers for Free Trade said California's agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico reached $8.2 billion in 2025 and backed roughly 40,700 jobs.
Rep. Jim Costa said the valley has the most to lose, the Business Journal reported. "Canada and Mexico are the San Joaquin Valley's closest and most important customers," he said. "As the Joint Review moves forward, we need to keep that focus so our growers can be price makers rather than price takers. Reliable trade with our closest neighbors is also a matter of national security."
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More background
The U.S.-Canada dispute sits outside the formal USMCA review, but it's still rattling the agricultural sector. Talks between the two countries broke down on Aug. 21, after which the U.S. responded with 50% tariffs covering roughly $20 billion of Canadian goods. Canada responded with tariffs of its own on U.S. steel, dairy, and farm equipment, due to start Sept. 8, according to the Associated Press.
Disputes like this tend to ripple through the food system, since growers end up paying more for everything from machinery to shipping to compliance.
Attendees raised concerns beyond tariffs, with rules on pesticide residue limits, food safety standards, protections for names tied to specific regions, and Canada's dairy quotas among them. Specialty crop growers warned that rules based on when and where produce is grown could upend the year-round supply chains California relies on.
That kind of unpredictability can slow investment, increase pressure on workers, and make planning harder in farming communities.
What's being done?
The Fresno gathering was one stop on a national roundtable tour Farmers for Free Trade is running to keep the agreement's value for farmers, workers, and local economies in view.
Attendees said predictable trade rules with Canada and Mexico would make it easier to plan planting, packing, staffing, and investment, while also protecting jobs and keeping food moving instead of letting policy swings push costs up.
California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross made a similar point, per The Business Journal, saying, "California farmers and ranchers help feed families across North America, and they do it through supply chains that depend on predictable rules. The longer disruptions continue, the more our customers look for alternatives, which is why continuing USMCA matters so much."
Farmers for Free Trade Executive Director Brian Kuehl added, "Mexico and Canada are our top two agricultural export markets, and few states have more riding on North American trade than California," per The Business Journal.
Where can I learn more?
Fresno's concerns show up in farm country well beyond California. Growers elsewhere are facing their own mix of policy shifts, weak prices, and crop losses that can hit local markets and eventually reach shoppers.
• In India, farmers say a new U.S. deal could turn local markets into dumping grounds.
• In Pennsylvania, orchard owners warn pricing is the biggest threat to keeping apples moving.
• In Spain, flooding has made orange growing nearly impossible and added fresh price pressure.
When trade fights or production setbacks hit, growers can lose leverage fast, which is why annual uncertainty around USMCA matters far beyond the border debate.
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