President Donald Trump’s historic United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was approved overwhelmingly by the U.S. Senate on Thursday, with both Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) voting to support the trade deal.
The implementation act for the USMCA passed the Senate 89-10.
The trade deal, which is set to replace NAFTA, has been praised by major industries in Alabama, including agriculture and manufacturing.
The U.S. House already approved the agreement, which will now advance to Trump’s desk for his signature. Alabama’s entire federal delegation ended up supporting the USMCA.
“Passage of this important trade pact is a significant win for our state and nation’s farmers, manufacturers, workers, and businesses,” Shelby said in a statement.
“The agreement not only improves our trade policies, but it also counteracts many of the negative effects of NAFTA. I commend President Trump on this legislative victory and look forward to the job creation and robust economic growth that will result from implementing USMCA,” he continued.
In 2018, Alabama exported $6.6 billion in services and commodities to Canada and Mexico. The USMCA is expected to continue boosting trade throughout the Yellowhammer State and the nation while serving the interests of Alabama’s workers and job creators. It will also support mutually beneficial trade leading to free markets, fair trade and continued economic growth in North America, according to Shelby’s office.
The vote by the full Senate on Thursday came after the Senate Appropriations Committee, of which Shelby serves as chairman and Jones serves as a member, advanced the agreement the day prior by a vote of 29-2.
After that committee vote, Jones stated, “I have consistently supported the idea of a new strategic trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, especially as businesses and markets are desperately seeking stability and reassurance due to the numerous global trade disputes the United States has entered over the past few years. Canada and Mexico are Alabama’s top trade partners and we are an exporting state, so this deal will provide much-needed stability and continued access to those markets that will benefit many industries in Alabama.”
“I hope once the agreement is signed in to law, we will work with other allies around the globe and remove the threat of tariffs on our farmers and automakers once and for all,” Jones concluded.
Shelby stated, “The President is dedicated to improving our nation’s trade policies and benefiting hardworking American taxpayers. I look forward to the future job creation and investment this pact will foster.”
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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