MSCI Hails USMCA Deal, Calls on U.S. Lawmakers To Quickly Ratify “New NAFTA”
Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) President and CEO M. Robert Weidner, III released the following statement regarding updates to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) negotiated by the U.S. and Mexican governments, and agreed to by U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.):
“MSCI represents more than 285 companies with approximately 2,300 locations across North America. This trade pact is critical to these firms’ ability to compete on this continent, and globally. I congratulate Ambassador Lighthizer, negotiators from Mexico, and Democrats in Congress on their hard work. This pact will preserve well-established relationships and partnerships that have expanded exports, enhanced growth, and provided well-paying jobs to millions of North American metals workers.”
“As a North American trade association that includes the broadest representation of the metals value chain, from producers and service centers to processors and users, MSCI believes NAFTA positively impacted our industry, fostering a $1 trillion annual trading relationship that has benefited both businesses and consumers. Service centers and the downstream manufacturers require a strong North American production base and thoughtful and modern trade policy. While NAFTA contributed to the U.S., Canadian, and Mexican economies and industrial metals supply chain, it was time to rewrite it for the 21st century. The U.S. House and Senate should ratify this ‘new NAFTA’ in the next two weeks and the Canadian Parliament should quickly follow suit.”
MSCI submitted comments in June 2017 to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative providing guidance on NAFTA modernization. Those comments are available here.
About MSCI
Founded in 1909, the Metals Service Center Institute is a nonprofit association based in Rolling Meadows, Ill., serving industrial metals companies and related organizations. It represents more than 285 businesses with more than 2,300 locations in North America and around the globe. MSCI’s mission is to build a community that provides meaningful intelligence about the industry and how it will evolve and that promotes the essential importance of the service center industry to the North American economy. Visit www.msci.org, MSCI’s online resource MSCI.org/Edge, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and connect with us on LinkedIn.