The legal certainty granted by the USMCA made Mexico the largest buyer of barley, a raw material used in the production of beer, from the United States.
“U.S. barley exports to Mexico have reached record levels, making Mexico the largest buyer of U.S. barley and barley products,” said Kera Birkeland, policy director for the Montana Grain Growers Association.
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The Mexico-United States-Canada Agreement has benefited the income of Montana farmers, particularly barley producers, the organization’s representative states in a comment sent to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the entity in charge of consultations regarding the renegotiation of the USMCA.
Mexico purchased more than 352,565 metric tons of barley from the United States between September 2023 and August 31, 2024, according to the United States Grains and Bioproducts Council (US Grains).
The barley, which is the raw material used for the production of beer, purchased by Mexico has a value of 295 million dollars, according to the grain producing organization with operations in the United States.
Canada is the second buyer of barley with 132 thousand metric tons, which are valued at 36 million dollars.
South Korea purchases 8,087 metric tons of barley from the United States, followed by Japan with 6,637 metric tons and Taiwan with 1,746 metric tons.
“Increased access to the barley market is essential to sustaining the growth of our Montana agricultural sector,” said Kera Birkeland.
The board said continued support for trade relationships is vital for Montana farmers to thrive in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.
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“The USMCA provisions, which support agricultural exports, have created more opportunities for farmers to access international markets, which is crucial to sustaining their businesses,” said the policy director of the Montana Grain Growers Association.
“Maintaining and expanding these business relationships is imperative for the growth and success of our agricultural sector,” he explained.
