Denver – Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, released the following statement announcing his support for the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA):
“I’ve long said that we should modernize NAFTA. The final USMCA brings our trade policies into the 21st century, and I am optimistic that it will strengthen labor and environmental standards in North America. Any trade agreement must expand opportunity for American workers and their families, and I commend the Democratic negotiators for securing enforcement tools that the Trump Administration initially left out to make this a much better deal for workers.
“The USMCA also provides some certainty for Colorado’s farmers and ranchers who have spent the last three years wondering whether President Trump would drive away another customer, or sacrifice another market to a foreign competitor with his feckless trade war — which has inflicted real and lasting damage on their bottom line. As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and as a coauthor of two bipartisan farm bills, I understand the importance of stability and certainty for American producers. I also recognize that much more needs to be done to expand access to growing foreign markets instead of simply maintaining the ones we already have.
“While modernizing this agreement is a step in the right direction, more must be done to create trade policies that expand opportunities for American workers, businesses, farmers, and ranchers.”