WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman French Hill (AR-02) released the following statement after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that a long-awaited deal had been reached to finalize the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), replacing the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
“With today's announced agreement on USMCA, more than 100,000 Arkansas farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers can celebrate increased exports, more jobs, and rising wages in 2020 and beyond. This agreement is a much-needed 21st century update of NAFTA and will keep the United States and our North American markets competitive for decades to come. This trade deal was one of President Trump's top priorities for the American people, and I want to congratulate him and U.S. Trade Representative, Ambassador Robert Lighthizer on this historic victory.”
“The Arkansas Farm Bureau is very supportive of USMCA,” said Arkansas Farm Bureau President Rich Hillman. “Just last week at our state convention, our delegates reiterated to me the importance of getting this trade agreement ratified as quickly as possible. Canada and Mexico are the nation’s two largest agricultural trading partners. Arkansas agriculture provides more than $20 billion annually to our state’s economy. Passage of USMCA will help stabilize the marketplace and will allow the United States to focus efforts on other important trade agreements around the world.”
“This is a vital piece of legislation for Arkansas businesses,” said Arkansas State Chamber President Randy Zook. “It is a real shot in the arm for Arkansas farm families. Canada and Mexico are our biggest trading partners, and this will be especially important to our farm sector. This is a solid achievement and the Arkansas State Chamber appreciates all of the hard work from the Arkansas delegation to get this moved forward.”
Background:
Congressman Hill is a member of the USMCA Republican House Whip Team and has extensive international experience working on trade. In 1989, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Corporate Finance, where one of his key assignments was representing the United States as a negotiator in the historic bilateral talks with Japan known as the Structural Impediments Initiative (SII). While serving in President Bush’s White House as Executive Secretary of the President's Economic Policy Council (EPC), he chaired the weekly interagency Trade Policy Review Group.
This year, Congressman Hill has been a leading voice on championing America's trade priorities and advocating for passage of USMCA. This May, Congressman Hill joined MSNBC's Morning Joe to talk about the latest developments on USMCA trade talks. Click HERE or on the picture below to watch the full interview with Congressman Hill on Morning Joe.
In November, Congressman Hill joined KARK's Capitol View to discuss the positive impact that USMCA will have on Arkansas's 100,000 farmers and producers who will benefit from the new trade deal. Click HERE on the video below to watch his remarks.
This past May, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette published an op-ed by Congressman Hill highlighting the importance of finalizing USMCA in order to open trade markets for Arkansas exports—including services, agricultural, manufacturing, and energy. That op-ed can be read HERE.
|
|
|
"On balance, the USMCA is a successful renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. It is superior to the existing arrangement and is a far better proposal than the alternative of scrapping NAFTA and returning to World Trade Organization rules. This agreement is good for American workers, taxpayers, businesses, and consumers and will keep the United States and our North American markets competitive for decades to come."
|
