Democratic members of the House of Representatives and the White House came to an agreement this morning to move forward on the USMCA trade agreement. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Richard E. Neal and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a joint press conference announcing the two sides had come to terms on issues including workers’ rights, the environment, and prescription drugs.
Major news outlets are reporting that trade officials from the U.S., Mexico, and Canada are scheduled to meet in Mexico City this afternoon to celebrate the new agreement. The USMCA is set to modernize the old NAFTA agreement and, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), will “support mutually beneficial trade leading to freer markets, fairer trade, and robust economic growth in North America.”
In a statement given shortly after the announcement, United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said, “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we have reached a historic agreement on the USMCA. After working with Republicans, Democrats, and many other stakeholders for the past two years we have created a deal that will benefit American workers, farmers, and ranchers for years to come. This will be the model for American trade deals going forward.”