GOP senators praise new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement

U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), John Hoeven (R-ND), and Deb Fischer (R-NE) applauded the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Implementation Act during a Jan. 22 U.S. Senate bill enrollment ceremony, the final step before the measure heads to the president for his signature to become law.

“I’m proud to have supported the USMCA for more jobs, economic growth, and opportunity in Colorado,” Sen. Gardner said, noting that much of the state’s economy is dependent on trade with Canada and Mexico with $2.7 billion in goods exported to the two countries in 2018.

Sen. Hoeven also said the USMCA will help provide market access and certainty for his home state of North Dakota.

“The agreement is good for agriculture and energy and will help us export more U.S. products to our closest neighbors,” said Sen. Hoeven. “For example, we worked to include a provision to prevent Canada from automatically downgrading U.S. wheat to ensure our wheat is treated fairly.”

Sen. Hoeven called the USMCA “an important achievement” for the nation that comes as the Trump administration works to resolve ongoing trade negotiations. He also said that the new law will make needed updates for intellectual property, digital trade and financial services.

Sen. Fischer joined her colleagues in thanking U.S. Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley (R-IA) for the Senate signing of the USMCA Implementation Act, saying “he has been very tenacious on getting this agreement done.”

“This is a remarkable achievement — to be able to have a bipartisan trade agreement that passed overwhelmingly in the United States Senate,” said Sen. Fischer, who added that agriculture is the economic engine for her home state of Nebraska, where the industry contributes $13.8 billion in economic activity.

“I’m just really proud of the work we have been able to do in working together with the administration and with my great colleagues here in the United States Senate in order to get these agreements done,” said Sen. Fischer.

H.R. 5430 received approval in December 2019 from the U.S. House of Representatives and then on Jan. 16 passed the Senate. President Donald Trump received the bill on Wednesday following the Senate signing event.