Estes works to quickly ratify USMCA

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is the best deal for farmers and manufacturers in Kansas and across the country, said U.S. Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS), who is urging his colleagues in Congress to quickly approve the trade pact.

Rep. Estes was named to the USMCA whip team by Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) earlier this month and is working to get the trade agreement approved. The USMCA, which would replace the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), was agreed upon in November 2018 by President Donald Trump with Mexico and Canada and must be reviewed by Congress before it is ratified.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) recently released an analysis of the estimated likely impact the USMCA would have on the U.S. economy and specific industry sectors.

“The ITC report underscores the significant importance of getting the USMCA across the finish line,” said Rep. Estes, who also is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

The ITC’s report estimates that the USMCA would lift U.S. real gross domestic product by $68.2 billion and U.S. employment by 176,000 jobs. The report also estimates that the USMCA would likely have a positive impact on all broad industry sectors within the U.S. economy, particularly on the manufacturing and services sectors.

“As Canada and Mexico are Kansas’ top export partners, this deal is a win for Kansas farmers, ranchers and manufacturers,” Estes said on April 18. “As a member of the USMCA whip team, I look forward to working with President Trump and urging my colleagues to swiftly pass this free and fair trade agreement.”

Rep. Estes recently wrote an op-ed in a Kansas publication about the benefits of the USMCA on the 4th District of Kansas he represents.

“Since its adoption, NAFTA was beneficial to this district, especially our farmers, ranchers and aerospace manufacturers. Canada and Mexico are Kansas’ top export markets worth $4.4 billion. However, the more than 20-year-old agreement was outdated and in bad need of reform and modernization, he wrote in an op-ed that appeared in the Derby Informer on April 3.

“As a fierce advocate for free and fair trade, I believe a trade agreement with our countries to our north and south is imperative for Derby and south central Kansas,” the article said.