Trump must renew Mexico-Canada trade agreement vital to Missouri’s economy | Opinion
Look at any map of America’s supply chains and you’ll find Missouri right at the center. We build everything from trucks and computer chips to aircraft parts and agricultural chemicals, and we grow and ship astonishing quantities of soybeans and corn.
Together, these industries make Missouri one of the engines of American strength and prosperity, and one of America’s major exporters. More than half of Missouri’s total exports — $11 billion worth — go to our two closest trading partners, Canada and Mexico.
Since 2020, Missouri’s trading relationships with Canada and Mexico have thrived under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, the modernized successor to NAFTA that President Donald Trump negotiated in his first term. The agreement set clearer rules for how North American goods move across borders, strengthened manufacturing ties among the three countries and created the predictability our exporters depend on. Put simply: If you build or grow something in Missouri, the USMCA is the reason it can reach our largest and most reliable trading partners quickly and duty-free.
Soon, all three nations will meet to review how the trade deal is working. For Missouri firms, it’s critical that the Trump administration renew the pact.
The growth has been dramatic. Since the USMCA was signed, Missouri’s exports to Mexico have nearly doubled from $2.2 billion in 2020 to $4.3 billion in 2024. Exports of cars, trucks and other transportation equipment to Canada, meanwhile, topped $3 billion in 2024.
Steady trade with Mexico and Canada is a boon to the entire Missouri economy. Our state’s GDP has increased a staggering 31% since the first quarter of 2021. This surge reflects not just increased demand, but the stability and predictability the agreement has brought to North American supply chains.
Part of what has made the USMCA so effective for Missouri is its modernized rules — especially the requirements that only goods genuinely made in North America receive duty-free access.
These rules protect Missouri manufacturers from being undercut by foreign competitors who might otherwise route cheaper products through Mexico or Canada and call them “North American.” They ensure that trucks built in St. Louis and soybeans harvested in Saline County get the preferential treatment intended for them, not goods assembled from overseas parts.
In 2026, the United States, Canada and Mexico will conduct the first USMCA joint review — the check-in written directly into the agreement. It’s the point at which each country must indicate whether it intends to extend the agreement for another 16 years. For a state where more than half of all exports go to our North American partners, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Renewal would lock in the stability that has fueled Missouri’s export growth.
This doesn’t mean the USMCA is beyond improvement. The joint review is an opportunity to strengthen the agreement in targeted, practical ways that matter for Missouri, such as improving customs coordination so trucks and equipment move across borders more efficiently, and updating digital trade rules to match the pace of modern manufacturing.
These are not sweeping changes. They’re just sensible tweaks that make a good agreement even better.
What Missouri cannot afford is this deal falling apart completely. Our farmers rely on steady demand in Mexico. Our manufacturers depend on integrated supply chains with Canada. Tens of thousands of Missouri jobs hinge on the clarity and consistency the USMCA provides.
As the joint review approaches, the best path forward is straightforward: Renew the agreement, further improve it and secure another 16 years of economic growth in the Show-Me State.
Stacy Washington is a decorated Air Force Veteran, Emmy nominated TV personality and host of the nationally syndicated radio program “Stacy on the Right,” based in St. Louis.