ASTA Comments Supporting Continuation of USMCA
On November 3, 2025, ASTA submitted comments in response to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)’s formal review of the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA). The comments strongly support continuation of USMCA and highlight the importance of duty-free movement of spices and spice-containing products across North America. ASTA urged USTR to maintain seamless cross-border trade, avoid rule-of-origin changes that could unintentionally disrupt global spice sourcing, and incorporate all Annex III spices into USMCA to preserve long-standing duty-free access.
11/20/2025 at 12:00 am
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On March 11, 2025, ASTA submitted a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative in response to the administration's call for information on unfair and non-reciprocal foreign trade practices. ASTA’s submission emphasizes the critical role of imported spices in the U.S. food supply and urges the government to avoid imposing tariffs on spices that cannot be commercially produced in the U.S., noting that such measures will raise costs for American businesses and consumers. ASTA recognizes the importance of supporting U.S.-grown spices but provides a list of many spices that must be imported due to climate limitations in the U.S., requesting that no new tariffs be imposed on these spices. ASTA also calls for a tariff-exclusion request process to allow individual entities to request exemptions from any tariffs that may be applied on food or agricultural items.
