Newhouse Applauds Passage of USMCA After Year of Urging Support
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after voting to ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement:
"For more than a year, I have been urging a vote on the USMCA, which is critical for the agriculture and manufacturing industries in Central Washington," said Rep. Newhouse. "Billions of dollars and thousands of jobs in our state rely on a strong trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, and the USMCA is a win for the United States. Farmers, ranchers, and American workers across the country welcome the bipartisan passage of this critical agreement. Modernizing NAFTA and bringing our trade relationship into the 21st Century is something that President Trump has made a priority since his campaign, and I am confident the Senate will vote to approve the agreement as soon as possible."
Click here to see how the USMCA will benefit Washington state.
- Washington is the most trade-reliant state in the nation, with 40% of the state's jobs tied to international trade.
- In 2018, Washington state's exports to Canada and Mexico totaled $11.5 billion, which includes $1.54 billion of agriculture products.
- There are 17,763 jobs in Washington that depend on manufacturing exports to Canada and Mexico.
Over the past year, Rep. Newhouse has strongly advocated for the approval of the USMCA. He has penned several opinion pieces in support of the trade agreement, specifically targeting benefits to Washington state's agriculture industry:
The Wenatchee World: Washington State needs the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (May 15, 2019)
Crosscut: Trump's trade deal is good for WA farmers. Here's why (June 14, 2019)
The Grand Coulee Star: Hardworking farmers deserve a strong trade agreement (August 21, 2019)
The Hill: From state agriculture departments to Congress: Our farmers need the USMCA (October 17, 2019)
Background:
On November 30, 2018, President Donald Trump, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a modernized and rebalanced trade agreement for the 21st Century. The USMCA, which replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will better serve American farmers, ranchers, and businesses while promoting freer markets, fairer trade, and economic growth in North America.