U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Sign-On Letter
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS:
The Florida Chamber of Commerce reiterates our strong support for ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), and urges Congress to move forward with a vote adopting the USMCA as soon as possible.
Florida is now the third most populous state with over 21 million citizens – and we’re still growing. By 2030, approximately 4.5 million more residents will call Florida home and 1.5 million more private sector jobs will be needed. To prepare for this continued growth and ensure Florida remains competitive, we must continue to seek new International trade and investment opportunities. The USMCA is the world’s largest trading bloc comprising three countries representing 450 million people and a combined GDP of $24.9 trillion.
Trade is essential to Florida’s global competitiveness, and policies that enhance competition in the global marketplace, and reduce or eliminate trade and investment barriers will further grow Florida jobs. USMCA, by setting new and higher trading standards, will strengthen the United States’ leadership in trade and technology, and expand the United States’ and Florida’s ability to create jobs.
We urge you to take into account the significance of the USMCA, and the importance of strengthening trade rules to reflect 21st century trade, such as improved intellectual property protections, transparency in import and export licensing procedures, new chapters on services and small business, digital trade provisions and broader provisions on cross-border data flows, as well as, reduced discriminatory policies which will have positive impacts on the U.S. economy.
To be clear, the USMCA contains many significant improvements over the original NAFTA agreement and its approval by Congress is important to Florida and the entire nation. Passing the USMCA quickly is essential. However, we do have concerns about some of the potential impacts to our state’s important agriculture sector.
For this reason, the Florida Chamber of Commerce commends the efforts of the Florida Congressional Delegation to address unfair trading practices by Mexico through legislation that would level the playing field for Florida farmers and we trust you will keep working on this after the USMCA passes.
Thank you for your consideration. Should you have any questions or require additional information, please feel free to contact me
at your convenience.
Sign the Letter