OMAHA (DTN) -- Agricultural and business groups testified Wednesday about the benefits of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, calling for a 16-year extension of the trade deal, while President Donald Trump disparaged trade with the two countries and again suggested he isn't interested in renewing the trilateral agreement.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said, "I'm not looking to renew it because to be honest with you, the United States does much better. We don't need anything that Canada has, we don't need anything that Mexico has, but they need everything that we have, and they have to treat us better."

Trump has a history of making similar statements to use as possible leverage in negotiations. He frequently criticized both Canada and Mexico before reaching the USMCA agreement, which Trump signed in 2020.

Since the USMCA was enacted, the value of ag exports to Canada and Mexico has increased by 47% compared to only 18% for the rest of the world sector. Mexico and Canada remain the top two overall markets for U.S. agricultural exports -- due in part to a collapse in sales last year to China. At the same time, agricultural trade between the three countries still makes up the bulk of the U.S. agricultural trade deficit at $24.5 billion last year.

USDA data shows U.S. agricultural exports to Canada were $28.2 billion in 2025 but we imported $39.3 billion in Canadian agricultural products.

Agricultural exports to Mexico in 2025 were $30.6 billion while the U.S. imported $44 billion in agricultural products from Mexico.

The three countries are set to start a formal review process on July 1 -- six years after USMCA was enacted -- to determine whether to renew the trade deal for an additional 16 years. Several groups have created the Agricultural Coalition for USMCA, which is calling for the 16-year renewal. Groups are concerned the review "could also enter a period of annual consultations with no clear path forward, creating significant uncertainty for the farm economy."

The U.S. House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday held a hearing on USMCA renewal and some of the agricultural trade barriers that still exist between the three countries.

Michael Lichte, chief insights and optimization officer for Dairy Farmers of America, said Mexico and Canada account for 40% of dairy export value. He especially highlighted Mexico as DFA's largest export destination. Still, Lichte criticized Canada dairy policies that have limited exports of products such as yogurt and Canada's pricing policies for products such as nonfat milk solids.

"Access that exists on paper is not consistently translating into real market opportunities," Lichte said.

Kristen Sawin, vice president of government and corporate affairs for lumber company Weyerhaeuser and the National Alliance of Forest Owners, noted that more than 35 pulp mill plants have closed since 2014. At the same time, Sawin cautioned the mill closures have been caused by several issues, not just USMCA.

David Puglia, president and CEO of the Western Growers Association, said Canada and Mexico represent two-thirds of U.S. fresh produce exports. Puglia also pointed to Canadian retaliation and trade tensions that have resulted in Canadian retailers and consumers looking to diversify away from U.S. produce.

"Our three markets have been integrated for so long now that many of my members speak about their sales into Canada and Mexico the same way they speak about sales within the United States," Puglia said.

Puglia said USMCA needs to be continued, but "rebalanced." In 2021, roughly 60% of all fruit consumed in the United States was imported and nearly 40% of all vegetables, with Mexico being the dominant exporter. USMCA renewal presents an opportunity for the United States to ensure that food safety oversight and standards are as vigorous in Mexico as they are domestically.

Still, Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., also noted he and 78 other lawmakers sent a bipartisan letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamison Greer raising questions about specialty crops harmed by Mexican produce being dumped into the U.S. "Trade is important, and it needs to be competitive and balanced. It is different by region, and it's different by the size of the grower as well," Scott said.

Jamie Beyer, a Minnesota farmer and executive committee member for the American Soybean Association, (ASA), said the group is calling for "wholehearted preservation" of the trade deal with a 16-year renewal. Beyer said Canada and Mexico together accounted for $4 billion in exports, or just over 13% of total soy complex exports.

"At a time when farmers are facing significant financial pressure, maintaining strong trade relationships with Canada and Mexico is more important than ever for the long-term success of rural America," Beyer said.

Michael Schumpp, senior director of international affairs for the Meat Institute, also underscored the importance of USCMA and called for preserving the trade agreement.

"USMCA ensures that within North America, U.S. exports and American farmers, ranchers, and businesses face the fewest regulatory barriers and enjoy the most unfettered access to the Canadian and Mexican markets."

Responding to a question, Schumpp said trade with Canada and Mexico adds $91 in returns per head for cattle and $28 for pork producers. Schumpp also said there would be unintended consequences of leaving USMCA such as Canada and Mexico both increasing their own processing capacity and negotiating deals with other countries.

Neil Herrington, senior vice president of the America's Program for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber leaders "are unabashed supporters of USMCA." He said the agreement has allowed U.S. manufactures to send more goods to Canada and Mexico "than they do to the next 12 largest U.S. export markets combined." Herrington added Canada and Mexico are the top export destinations for more than 100,000 small- and medium-sized businesses.

The hearing comes days after a new Purdue University study also showed the USMCA has saved U.S. households roughly $700 per year in food costs, mainly due to lower tariffs. Without USMCA, tariffs on food products would increase by an average of 7.4%, which would eliminate those food-cost savings. Herrington called the Purdue study "incredibly important" in reflecting how USMCA helps with affordability for consumers, especially lower-income households.

"The study also shows conclusively that if we were to lose duty-free access and all the benefits that USMCA provides consumers, household goods specifically in food and agricultural products would rise. There's no question about it," Herrington said.

Beyond the hearing, the group Farmers for Free Trade also responded to Trump's comments. Iowa farmer Bob Hemesath, a farmer in northeast Iowa, said failing to extend the agreement would be "a self-inflicted wound" when American agriculture is struggling.

"With respect, the notion that America does not need anything from Canada does not match the reality on my farm or any farm I know," Hemesath said. "The United States imports roughly 90% of its potash, and more than 80% of those imports come from Canada. There is no substitute and no domestic supply that can replace it. Without Canadian potash, American crops simply do not get planted at full strength, and food prices rise for every American family. The Joint Review is an opportunity to extend and strengthen an agreement the President himself negotiated and that has delivered real results for rural America. Farmers across the heartland are counting on our leaders to seize this opportunity, not to walk away from our two largest and most reliable customers."

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

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