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Senate Finance Committee approves USMCA

The Senate Finance Committee has approved the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement by a vote of 25 to three.

A vote by the full Senate could take place in the next few days, depending on if and when the House sends its articles of impeachment to the Senate.

During the committee’s markup session this morning, chair Chuck Grassley of Iowa said the agreement will provide much-needed certainty to American farmers.

“Farmers are getting better and more reliable market access, which farmers badly need,” Grassley said.

South Dakota Senator John Thune said USMCA will be benefit dairy producers “by substantially expanding market access in Canada, where U.S. dairy sales have been restricted”.

Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse, the newest member of the committee, also spoke favorably of the agreement.

“(It) provides security, market access, long-term stability and growth, not only in quantity, but also in the value of our products sold to our North American trading partners,” Sasse said.

Colorado Senator Michael Bennett said he supports USMCA but criticized the Trump Administration’s overall trade strategy.

“Passing the USMCA will not ease the enormous pain and uncertainty from the Administration’s feckless trade policy over the last three years,” Bennett said.

Many senators commented that while the USMCA deal is not perfect, it is an improvement over the current NAFTA agreement.