Gov. Doug Ducey today sent a letter to Arizona’s Congressional members urging ratification of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The agreement, which was signed by President Trump along with his Mexican and Canadian counterparts in November of last year, updates and modernizes current U.S. trade agreements with Mexico and Canada established nearly 25 years ago, known as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The modernized agreement supports mutually beneficial trade across North America, supporting free markets, more equal trade practices and greater economic growth.

“While the North American Free Trade Agreement was a historic agreement and visionary for its time, it is nearly 25 years old. The business world has evolved tremendously during that time, but our trade policies have not kept up,” Governor Ducey states in the letter. “As we seek to secure Arizona’s economic future, a strong trade deal with Mexico and Canada is crucial. I urge you to work with your colleagues in Congress to move towards ratification of the USMCA as quickly as possible.”

Arizona’s trade with its North American partners is a vital part of the state’s economy, supporting:

• $19 billion in combined economic impact with Mexico and Canada;

• $9.7 billion in Arizona exports to Canada and Mexico in 2017;

• And more than 236,000 Arizona jobs.

The deadline for the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to release an assessment on the agreement and its economic impact is expected in April of this year and Congress will begin consideration of the agreement following the release of the ITC’s assessment.

For a signed copy of the letter, click HERE.

For additional statistics showing how USMCA would benefit Arizona’s economy, see.