{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://adriansmith.house.gov/media/press-releases/smith-usmca-renewal-pause-path-stronger-enforcement", "Smith: USMCA Renewal Pause Is a Path to Stronger Enforcement", "2026-07-01", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "NE", "Adrian Smith", "S001172", "adriansmith.house.gov", "adriansmith", "https://adriansmith.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Congressman Adrian Smith (NE-03), a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and chair of the Subcommittee on Trade, released the following statement regarding the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) Joint Review.\n\n\u201cSince its creation, USMCA has been the gold standard for modern trade agreements, delivering meaningful benefits to the United States and our North American partners. But any agreement is only as strong as its enforcement. Unfortunately, over the past six years, our trading partners have repeatedly failed to fully uphold their commitments. With that in mind, President Trump\u2019s decision not to renew is not a termination\u2014it is an opportunity to strengthen enforcement, so the agreement functions as intended. I look forward to continuing my work with Ambassador Greer to secure the strongest possible deal, level the playing field, and reinforce supply chains for America\u2019s agriculture producers and manufacturers.\"\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nSmith has been a leading advocate for strong enforcement of the USMCA agreement\u2014particularly on issues affecting American agriculture, manufacturing, and digital services.\n\nRepresenting the nation\u2019s largest agriculture-producing district, Smith has emphasized the importance of a strong, enforceable USMCA for America\u2019s farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers. He continues to support strengthening the agreement ahead of its scheduled expiration on July 1, 2036.\n\nIn December 2020, after Mexico issued a presidential decree banning imports of U.S. biotech corn for human consumption in violation of its USMCA commitments, Smith pressed the Biden Administration to act. Sending multiple letters to U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack urging the launch of a formal dispute. In December 2024, following sustained pressure from Smith, a USMCA dispute panel ruled in the United States\u2019 favor, ending Mexico\u2019s ban on U.S.-grown biotech corn.\n\nIn March 2022, Smith joined his colleagues in sending a letter to the Biden Administration raising concerns about Mexico\u2019s discrimination towards American energy companies and urging the administration to pursue a formal USMCA dispute settlement.\n\nIn December 2023, Smith joined his colleagues in sending a letter to the Biden Administration expressing their disappointment in the administration\u2019s failure to hold Canada accountable for their discrimination against American dairy products. In December 2025, he joined a group of his colleagues urging the Trump Administration to finally address these concerns ahead of the Joint Review.\n\nIn September 2024, following several concerning Mexican Constitutional reforms, Smith led a group of his colleagues in sending a letter urging the Biden Administration to work with Mexican officials to ensure that these proposed reforms did not violate the USMCA agreement.\n\nSmith has also raised concerns about Canada\u2019s emerging digital trade barriers. In May 2024, he joined a bipartisan group urging the Biden Administration to address trade implications of Canada\u2019s Online Streaming Act. In July 2025, he and his colleagues called on Canadian officials to rescind discriminatory digital policies ahead of the 2026 Joint Review and urged the Trump Administration to prioritize resolving these barriers in future negotiations.\n\nIn May 2026, Smith led a letter with 19 Republican colleagues to U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent raising concerns regarding recent actions by Mexico\u2019s Servicio de Administraci\u00f3n Tributaria (SAT) that unfairly target American companies operating in Mexico.\n\nAhead of the July 2026 Joint Review, Smith led a bipartisan congressional delegation to Mexico City to meet with Mexican officials during the first round of bilateral negotiations.\n\nMost recently, in June 2026, Smith led a bipartisan letter with his Agriculture Trade Caucus co-chairs and 13 colleagues urging the Trump Administration to address Mexico\u2019s non-tariff barriers affecting U.S. grain exports.", 1, "2026-07-02T06:20:02Z", "2026-07-02T06:21:32Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://adriansmith.house.gov/media/press-releases/smith-usmca-renewal-pause-path-stronger-enforcement"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 6.0684578493237495, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}