July 22, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC – A coalition of 33 U.S. food and agriculture industry members call for the prompt confirmation of the Honorable Kenneth Salazar to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. In a letter sent to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the groups site Senator Salazar’s proven statesmanship and keen insights into the long, rich, and complex relationship between the United States and Mexico. The letter acknowledges the many significant challenges regarding labor, migration, and trade, and notes that Senator Salazar’s skills will strengthen the two countries’ important bilateral relationship.

“We applaud President Biden’s nomination of Senator Salazar to fill the critical ambassadorial role to Mexico and respectfully recommend his prompt confirmation,” said John Bode, President and CEO of the Corn Refiners Association. “Mexico is one of America’s most important food and agriculture trade partners, and Senator Salazar’s unique qualifications and leadership background will strengthen our bilateral relationship even further.”

Together, the group of associations represent much of the food and agriculture sector that is responsible for roughly one-fifth of the country’s economic activity, directly supporting more than 20 million jobs – constituting more than 13 percent of total U.S. employment. As a net producing nation of food and agriculture products, foreign markets are critical to the economic vitality of the food and agriculture sector. You can view the full letter here.

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The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) is the national trade association representing the corn refining industry of the United States. CRA and its predecessors have served this important segment of American agribusiness since 1913. Corn refiners manufacture sweeteners, starch, advanced bioproducts, corn oil and feed products from corn components such as starch, oil, protein and fiber.