Governor Charlie Baker Sends Letter of Support for USMCA
Dear President Trump, Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader McCarthy:
I am writing to urge your support for the ratification of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Canada is Massachusetts’ largest trading partner with a combined bilateral trade of $10.3B in 2018, including the exportation of industrial machinery, aircraft engines and parts, automatic data processing machinery and medical/surgical/dental equipment. More specifically, this partnership supports over 200 Canadian-owned companies in Massachusetts, creating over 20,000 direct jobs – over 200,000 jobs depend on US-Canadian trade relations.
Completion of this fair, flexible trade agreement with our closest trading partners is vital, not only because free trade and strong relationships with neighboring allies are critical for peace and state economic prosperity, but it is critically important for our economy and Massachusetts jobs.
The USMCA increases environmental and labor regulations, and incentivizes more domestic production of cars and trucks. The agreement also provides updated intellectual property protections, and gives the United States more access to Canada’s dairy market. To avoid the pitfalls of NAFTA and ensure our trading relationships keep up with modern times, the USMCA also requires that the agreement is reviewed every six years.
Ratification of USMCA is imperative but so too is reversing recent tariffs on aluminum and steel coming from Mexico or Canada. These tariffs lead to higher consumer prices, create barriers to attracting foreign investment and pose risk to long-term economic strategies. These tariffs should be lifted upon the swift ratification of the USMCA.
The USMCA maintains a balanced trade agreement with Mexico and Canada to facilitate these essential trading relationships, for both our state and the nation. It also provides us with a strong, fair agreement that will support economic growth and American jobs for years to come. I urge you to support the expeditious ratification of the USMCA and lift the tariffs placed on Canadian and Mexican steel and aluminum.
Sincerely,
Governor Charlie Baker
Massachusetts
cc: Massachusetts Congressional Delegation
See the full letter here.