House Passes Reworked North American Trade Deal in Victory for Trump, Democrats

Canada, Federal Agency/Executive Branch, Federal Legislation, Marketing/Markets and Sales, Mexico, Opinions, Policy, White House

December 20, 2019

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by Erica Werner (Washington Post) The bill passed by a vote of 385 to 41 and is expected to pass the Senate early next year. — The House of Representatives voted Thursday in favor of a new trade deal for North America, delivering a hard-fought victory to President Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) a day after Democrats impeached the president.

The legislation passed on an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 385 to 41, with a large majority of Democrats approving the deal. The bill’s success came despite intense partisanship on most other fronts in Washington. But these distractions appeared to create cover for negotiators to finalize a trade deal that Trump and Democrats would support.

The revised pact upended the Democratic Party’s long-standing skepticism toward massive trade bills such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, which the new deal would replace. In a further reordering of the politics of trade, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement has the endorsement of major labor unions including the AFL-CIO. The Senate is expected to act on the package next year.

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House Democrats, who viewed the initial deal as unacceptable, achieved substantial changes. They jettisoned pharmaceutical protections sought by drug companies and added provisions ensuring higher labor standards in Mexico, quicker dispute resolution, higher environmental standards and stronger enforcement of all elements of the deal. READ MORE

The USMCA is finally done. Here’s what is in it. (Washington Post)

Groups Respond to Passage of USMCA — RFA Applauds House Approval of USMCA (Southeast AgNet Radio Network)

American Coalition For Ethanol Discusses Benefits of USMCA Passage For Biofuels Industry (GrainNet)

House passes USMCA trade agreement (Ethanol Producer Magazine)

Excerpt from Southeast AgNet Radio Network: The Renewable Fuels Association lauded a vote by the U.S. House of Representatives approving the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a crucial trade pact that will benefit U.S. ethanol producers and rural economies across the nation. New fact sheets released today by RFA highlight the significance of the Canadian and Mexican export markets to U.S. ethanol producers. RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper offered the following statement:

“America’s ethanol producers are encouraged by the approval of USMCA in the House, and we urge the Senate to act swiftly to ratify the agreement. Canada and Mexico are among our most important and reliable export markets for both ethanol and distillers grains, and we look forward to strengthening our trading relationship with the two countries. USMCA is a good deal for the U.S. ethanol industry, the farmers who support us, and our industry’s partners in Canada and Mexico.”

In 2018, Canada ranked second for ethanol exports from the United States, purchasing 350 million gallons, and ranked in the Top 10 for distillers grains. Canada has imported more ethanol from the United States since 2012 than any other country in the world. Click here for more information.

Mexico was the top export market for U.S. distillers grains in 2018, importing more than 2 million metric tons, and ranked in the Top 10 for ethanol exports. Click here for more information. READ MORE / MORE

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