We Must Get Usmca Right

Floor Speech

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Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the United States- Mexico-Canada trade agreement and the need for commonsense change to see that our trade policies with Mexico and Canada better reflect the current economic conditions and the changes that have occurred since the initial act was put together over 25 years ago.

The administration's trade policies, though, currently with these tariff wars, I believe, are not only hurting consumers, but they are hurting our farmers, ranchers, and dairymen and -women. Let's be clear about it: These are hidden taxes that consumers pay and that agriculture pays as well.

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, I think, would address these concerns if we get it right.

As chairman of the Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture, opening new trade opportunities for agriculture is one of my top priorities. My home State of California is the number one agricultural State in the Nation, and nearly half of our ag products are exported abroad, over $20 billion a year.

I am a farmer, third generation. I understand the importance of our ability to trade and have a fair and level playing field.

Mexico and Canada combined is our largest destination for these products. Maintaining these markets is essential to ensure prosperity for our farmers and the viability of our ag economy.

We have had 25 years of a mostly successful trading relationship with Canada and Mexico since signing the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, but a lot has changed. It has also resulted in, let's be frank, a loss of jobs that has hurt American families here, and we need to address that. This is an opportunity to deal with the flaws that have existed in NAFTA for over 25 years.

Since 2002, Canada has been the United States' top agricultural export market, and Mexico has either been second or third. In 2018, we exported $143 billion worth of agricultural products to the two countries combined. The amount equaled over a quarter of total U.S. ag exports. That is significant.

The USMCA leaves in place, I think, the key wins for agriculture established under NAFTA. It updates key provisions pertaining to important issues like labor, technology, and the environment. It also provides some new access to Canada's protected dairy market, which I think is important.

The conversations between House Democrats and the administration to hammer out the remaining differences, I think, have been constructive. I disagree with some of the narratives that this has been a delay. We want to get it right. You must get good trade agreements right. Our negotiators are making good progress, including efforts to ensure that enforcement to the agreement is done.

But enforcement of labor standards continues to remain a concern. This is important. Labor in America doesn't want the same impacts that took place under NAFTA, so enforcement of the provisions is critical.

USMCA's labor chapter does reflect a strengthening of standards, including freedom of association and the right to organize in Mexico. We have had numerous delegations meet with our counterparts in Mexico. This spring, Mexico passed landmark labor legislation laying the legal framework for compliance with the United States-Mexico-Canada labor chapter. Now we must ensure that those labor standards are enforced. That is the critical area today.

House Democrats are working in good faith with the administration to put in place assurances that these standards are enforced over the long term.

The same goes for enforcement of environmental and biomedical standards. Commitments need to be made, and they have to be enforceable to make this a successful agreement.

If these issues are addressed, the USMCA would stabilize some trade policies that are otherwise unpredictable with this administration, including serious concerns that President Trump may, as he said, kill NAFTA and reject the deal if we don't pass this. We want to get it done ASAP for sure, but we need to make sure it is done right.

Sound trade policy should not be a partisan issue. I will continue to make sure that we can vote on USMCA as soon as possible. Once again, though, we have to have the assurances. I expect strong passage of an agreement if we can get those assurances, but there must be a way to address this so that we will get to ``yes.''

Then we can turn our attention to other trade matters. An agreement with China, obviously, is very important and in Europe with the European Union.

Let me say, finally, good trade agreements, I think, mean good-paying jobs. Let me repeat that. Good trade agreements mean good-paying jobs for all Americans. That is obviously what we want to do for our entire economy.

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