Trade negotiators from the U.S., Mexico and Canada have reached a new trade agreement that is expected to have been ratified by the House and Senate just in the new year.
The new USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) replaces NAFTA and has been a pressing issue for the trucking industry. Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen. Trade between the countries in North America moves primarily by truck, and your engagement with representatives and senators about how this issue affects your business and the American economy was invaluable.
The ATA team will continue to track the remaining steps to ratification and provide updates.
“Now with a clear path to USMCA’s ratification, this is an historic victory for truck drivers, motor carriers and the entire American economy,” said ATA President Chris Spear. “The vast majority of trade in North America moves on truck, with $772 billion worth of goods crossing our borders with Mexico and Canada every year. USCMA will provide the certainty our industry needs while ensuring the United States remains competitive on the world stage.”
“The state’s industries like trucking, farming and manufacturing don’t prosper in a vacuum. We all do the most good when the networks between us are strong,” said Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas Trucking Association. “The Arkansas trucking community has been passionate about seeing a trade deal that keeps commerce rolling across our state, across our country, and across our borders.”
“In a Washington that has been gridlocked by partisan politics, this is a great example of what is possible in creating consensus around good policy,” Spear said. “Truckers and our economy depend on good policy-making, and this bipartisan agreement is a reminder of how government can make our lives and businesses stronger. I thank President Trump, Speaker Pelosi, and all who have put disagreements aside to achieve this historic agreement.”
