The U.S. signs off on a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada to replace NAFTA. The Senate voted this past week overwhelming in support of the revised NAFTA, the USMCA trade deal. It comes on the heels of last month’s approval by the House, after months of negotiations between Democrats and the White House. The new trade deal includes new protections for auto workers, and dairy farmers in the U.S. more access to the Canadian market. It also includes new rules for digital trade, something that barely existed when NAFTA was written.
USMCA was signed more than a year ago by Trump and the leaders of Mexico and Canada but had to be approved by legislatures in all 3 nations. Mexico has already done so, and Canada will move to ratify the deal next week.
Now with Congressional approval, President Trump must still sign the revised trade deal, something he had said he would do this week.
The new NAFTA is being applauded by many leaders here in the North Country, including Garry Douglas with the North Country Chamber of Commerce, who say it is critical to keeping the balance in cross-border trade that has become so important to the region’s economy.