HARRISBURG – The Senate approved a resolution today calling on the United States Congress to approve the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) – a new trade agreement between the neighboring nations that replaces the outdated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) – according to the measure’s sponsor, Senator Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York).
“The most important piece of news coming out of Washington DC this week appears to be a bipartisan deal on USMCA, which will do great things for Pennsylvania’s economy,” Phillips-Hill said. “Over 9 million jobs in the United States rely on trade between Mexico and Canada. This agreement will support the kind of quality manufacturing jobs that Vice President Pence came to York County to highlight.”
USMCA makes a number of significant upgrades to NAFTA’s environmental and labor provisions, incorporates them into the core of the agreement, and makes them fully enforceable, which will help level the playing field for U.S. workers and businesses.
According to Phillips-Hill, the agreement will open markets for Pennsylvania dairy and poultry products, which are both large sectors of the York County agricultural economy.
The agreement would also dramatically enhance intellectual property protections, which drive innovation and economic growth.
“Passage of this resolution today tells our counterparts in Washington that we support their bipartisan consensus to protect American jobs and move our trade agreements with our neighbors into the 21st Century,” she added.
You can watch Senator Phillips-Hill’s comments during today’s Senate session here.
You can listen to Senator Phillips-Hill’s comments during today’s Senate session here.