Gov. Doug Burgum released the following statement today after reports that the House of Representatives has agreed to bring the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) forward for a vote.
“As we’ve been saying during more than a year of delays in the House, the USMCA is a tremendous opportunity to benefit our farmers, ranchers, business owners and innovators with a modernized agreement that rebalances trade in favor of the United States and strengthens our relationship with our top two trading partners,” Burgum said. “We’re deeply grateful to the Trump administration for its tireless work on this agreement, and we urge House leadership to put it to a vote quickly so it can advance to the Senate for approval and be implemented as soon as possible. This deal will provide market certainty at a time of extreme hardship for our farmers and ranchers, who are among the most productive in the world and can compete with anyone on a level playing field.”
Canada and Mexico are North Dakota’s largest trading partners, accounting for nearly $5 billion in annual exports. In June, Burgum joined 26 other Republican governors in signing a letter urging Congress to ratify the USMCA.