Business Pushing for USMCA Approval

Major U.S. businesses are putting together a large coalition to help lobby lawmakers and ask them to ratify the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. An industry source tells Politico that up to three dozen associations across different sectors of the economy are involved. However, the official start date for the coalition’s efforts has not been released yet. U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue expressed confidence that lawmakers will ultimately ratify the USMCA because of just how important America’s trading relationship is with its two biggest export markets, Mexico and Canada.

In his annual “State of American Business” speech, Donohue asks the Trump Administration to drop the steel and aluminum tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. “This would be an encouraging sign for all our trading partners,” he says, “including those we’re pursuing new market-opening agreements with, like Japan, the U.K., and the European Union.” Speaking of Japan, Politico also notes that the former Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. says the Trump Administration needs to “be realistic” about what it can achieve on the agricultural front.

If you have a story idea for the Washington Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekradio.com