WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today released the following statement after President Trump signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) into law.

“The signing of the USMCA today is a win for the workers, farms, and businesses of Central Virginia. I’ve long said that we needed to move this agreement across the finish line, because I’ve heard directly about the importance of trade certainty with Mexico and Canada in conversations with our district’s producers and business owners,” said Spanberger. “Today, I’d like to thank the administration, U.S. Trade Ambassador Lighthizer, and the House negotiators for their commitment to reaching a finalized trade deal. This agreement sets the standard for how future U.S. trade agreements should be negotiated—all sides came together, hammered out differences, and found a solution on behalf of the American people. Now, I hope the Canadian parliament will work in a similarly bipartisan fashion to ratify their end of the bargain.”

Last month, Spanberger joined a bipartisan majority of her colleagues in passing the USMCA in the U.S. House. Earlier in December 2019, Spanberger joined Vice President Mike Pence in a bipartisan meeting with five of her colleagues at the White House to discuss the status of the USMCA and the need to finalize the agreement.

 

BACKGROUND

 

In 2018, Virginia exported $4.3 billion dollars-worth of goods to Canada and Mexico. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, one out of six Virginia manufacturing firms exports to Canada and Mexico. For these manufacturers, the USMCA would raise standards, improve transparency, and end anti-U.S. discrimination from Canada and Mexico—as well as prevent a $466 million increase in taxes due to tariffs.

The USMCA would also establish preferential market access for Central Virginia agricultural exporters. For dairy farmers, the trade agreement would expand market opportunities in Canada, and it would eliminate an unfair milk pricing program that long allowed Canadian farmers to undersell U.S. producers. And for poultry producers, the USMCA would increase access to Canadian markets for chicken and eggs. According to a report from the U.S. International Trade Commission, U.S. agricultural exports to Mexico would grow by nearly 7 percent—and exports to Canada would grow by nearly 6 percent.

Spanberger has long worked to move the USMCA forward and fought for the trade priorities of Central Virginia businesses, workers, and producers, including by:

• Meeting directly with administration officials to voice the concerns of Central Virginia farms, businesses, and workers. In a May 2019 meeting with Deputy U.S. Trade Representative C.J. Mahoney, Spanberger discussed the status of ongoing USMCA negotiations and the potential benefits of the USMCA for Virginia’s economy. Additionally, in March 2019, she met with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and fellow members of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus to discuss the status of the USMCA.

• Hearing from Central Virginians about the potential benefits of the USMCA. In October 2019, Spanberger hosted a roundtable on the USMCA and trade with the Chesterfield County Chamber of Commerce and local business owners. And during her 2019 Farm Tour, she heard from farmers and agribusinesses about the need to protect critical trade relationships with buyers in Canada and Mexico.

• Pressing her colleagues to make progress on the USMCA. In November 2019, Spanberger spoke on the floor of the U.S. House to urge House negotiators and the administration to reach a final deal on the USMCA. Click here to watch her speech.

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