WTCBN Joins Nationwide USMCA Advocacy Coalition
Recently, World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara joined a nationwide coalition spearheaded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce advocating for Congress to ratify the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA), approved by all three North American partners at the end of November.
The Coalition, which is comprised of more than 300 companies and associations from around the U.S., is predicated on a message of “preserve and strengthen,” building on the foundational relationships between the three countries created through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The group’s advocacy to Congress highlights not only the importance of ratification, but the timeliness of getting it done to strengthen the North American market.
Some upcoming benchmarks: As laid out in the Bipartisan Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (known as Trade Promotion Authority or TPA), the Administration will share a draft Statement of Administrative Action with Congress to solicit input on a final SAA, which will implement some aspects of the agreement. Also, on or about April 20, the U.S. International Trade Commission is expected to issue its congressionally-mandated assessment of the projected economic impact of the USMCA. These are steps that precede any formal congressional action on an implementing bill.
As the only World Trade Center representing business communities on both sides of the CanAm border, we see the positive impact of NAFTA, and the importance of the new USMCA, every day. We are pleased that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has taken the lead on a nationwide message, and look forward to working with our partners in the coalition.
