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Schaffer Applauds Congressional Action On USMCA

December 11, 2019
Tim Schaffer News
 
COLUMBUS—State Senator Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster) issued a statement today on the United States House of Representatives decision to vote on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

“Despite the year-long delay from Congress, I am excited to see that USMCA is heading for a vote in the U.S. House next week,” said Schaffer. “This agreement will create more jobs and lead to a stronger economic future for Ohioans. The sooner that USMCA is ratified, the better off the United States and the State of Ohio workers and families will be”.

The agreement, which would replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, would create a more level playing field for American workers, remove barriers for small businesses, and encourage more goods and materials to be manufactured in the United States. It would also strengthen the food and agriculture trade between the three countries and create new protections for U.S. intellectual property.

The U.S. International Trade Commission estimates that USMCA will increase the United States' Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by $68.2 billion and create 176,000 jobs, including 76,800 jobs in the U.S. automotive industry.

“The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is a good deal for Ohio workers, manufacturers, and farmers. It fixes the unfair trade agreements of the past that pit our worker protections and product safety against lower cost countries that historically have lower standards of worker safety and consumer product safety," said Schaffer. "The USMCA levels the economic playing field, encourages lower cost countries to improve standards, and will provide numerous benefits to 20th district workers and their families.”

In 2017, Ohio exported $25.3 billion in goods to Canada and Mexico, and passage of USMCA would ensure continued growth of Ohio’s export business Schaffer said.

The Ohio Senate passed Senate Resolution 376 in late October urging the U.S. Congress to ratify the USMCA agreement. The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on USMCA next week.

For more on the benefits of USMCA, visit www.ustr.gov/usmca.