Rep. Schrader Votes for Bipartisan USMCA Trade Agreement
Press Release
Congressman Kurt Schrader (OR-05) voted for the passage of the United States Mexico Canada Trade Agreement that will set new standards for future U.S. trade agreements.
"Congress and the Trump Administration have succeeded in negotiating and passing a new NAFTA agreement with our two most important trading partners: Canada and Mexico, said Rep. Schrader. "For a trade dependent state like Oregon where much of its agriculture products, manufactured goods, and services are shipped internationally, this is great news. It is just the shot in the arm we need to keep our economy and job growth strong. There have been significant improvements for our farmers, businesses, workers and families that reflect the 21st century global economy." "This United States Mexico Canada Agreement promotes more American exports to Canada and Mexico and would truly level the playing field for American workers.
"This holiday season will be a bit brighter for America's dairy farmers as today's vote brings us one step closer to finalizing USMCA and securing a more certain future for the dairy industry," said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federations. "Oregon's dairy industry appreciates the work that Congressman Schrader has invested to ensure USMCA will provide expanded market opportunities and a more level playing field for dairy exports. Now we are counting on the Senate to act quickly and finalize USMCA in order to deliver its improvements to North American trade."
The renegotiated trade agreement will secure improvements in four key areas:
· Enforcement: Fixing loopholes that allowed countries to avoid being held accountable and introducing new measures to make enforcement more effective
· Workers: Creating new mechanisms to monitor labor rule compliance in Mexico and establish penalties on imports produced at a facility where workers' right to organize has been thwarted
· Environment: New standards to monitor environmental compliance in Mexico
· Access to Medicine: Promotion of fair competition and improving patients' access to affordable medicines
According to the U.S. Office of the Trade Representative, in 2018, Oregon exported $22.3 billion in goods around the world, $3.7 billion to Canada and Mexico alone.
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