600 Organizations, Including MSCI, Sign Letter Calling For USMCA Ratification

Last week, under the umbrella of the USMCA Coalition and with more than 600 organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, the Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) sent a letter to U.S. lawmakers asking them to support the United States Mexico Canada Agreement, or USCMA.

The letter, which can be found here, notes:

• More than 12 million American jobs depend on trade with Canada and Mexico.
• S. manufacturers export more made-in-America manufactured goods to our North American neighbors than they do to the next 11 largest export markets combined.
• Mexico and Canada are the top two export destinations for U.S. small and medium-size businesses, more than 120,000 of which sell their goods and services to Canada and Mexico.
• The USMCA will ensure U.S. manufacturers, farmers and service providers can continue to access the Canadian and Mexican markets and that virtually all U.S. exports will enter these markets tariff-free.

On Capitol Hill, meanwhile, lawmakers continue to try to set the stage for ratification of the agreement. The U.S. House of Representatives adjourned last week for its six-week summer recess, but U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and his team will continue to meet in August with members of the working group established last month by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to address some Democrats’ lingering concerns about select issues in the agreement.

The Senate is still in session this week and its Finance Committee will hold a hearing on the USMCA on July 30. The discussion will feature representatives from the auto industry, agribusiness, transportation, dairy and small businesses as well as a witness focusing on labor policy.