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Wyoming Urges U.S. Congress to Ratify Trade Agreement

President Trump signs the USMCA. Photo: The White House

On Tuesday, April 30, the Wyoming Department of Agriculture released a statement urging the U.S. Congress to ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a renegotiation of the terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

In November 2018, President Donald Trump, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau formally signed the USMCA. Each country’s legislature still must ratify the agreement.

According to the statement, Canada is the top export destination for agricultural products from the state of Wyoming. In 2016, agricultural exports from Wyoming to Canada and Mexico were more than $29 million and $13 million respectively. In addition to agricultural exports, all products exported from Wyoming to Canada and Mexico were more than $186 million and $35.2 respectively.

“While Wyoming may not be considered a large exporter of goods and services,” the statement noted, “access to these two markets for our agricultural products and other Wyoming products is crucial to success in our state.”

The statement went on to praise the USMCA for rebalancing and modernizing NAFTA, increasing transparency, advancing science-based decision making, and creating new mechanisms for working together to resolve issues.

Additionally, the statement explained, the agreement will provide important export and economic growth opportunities to agricultural producers and food manufacturers in Wyoming.

“Wyoming urges Congress and the Administration to ratify and successfully implement the USMCA to ensure our neighbors to the north and south remain our closest trade partners,” the statement concluded.

On Monday, April 29, the Mexican legislature passed labor reforms considered non-negotiable by U.S. Democrats, resolving one of the main obstacles to ratification of the agreement in the U.S. Congress.

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