Canada agreed late on Sunday to join in the new trade deal between the U.S. and Mexico that is intended to replace the North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA). Multiple Kansas leaders are praising the agreement that preserved the three-country make-up of the original NAFTA trade deal.
Officials said that the deal includes new intellectual property, labor rights and environmental protections, among other provisions.
Congressman Roger Marshall of Kansas’ First District spoke with KMAN and said the agreement is a “big deal” for the state as there are 400,000 “NAFTA-dependent jobs” in Kansas.
“We export $2.5 billion to Canada each year and almost $2 billion to Mexico [per year]— that’s probably three to four times what we export to China,” Marshall said. “These are the number one and two markets for Kansas agriculture and all of the Kansas economy.”
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas also commended the deal and wrote that he was clear when speaking with President Trump and his advisers that the inclusion of both Canada and Mexico was vital for any new trade agreement.
“I appreciate the administration working to make certain these markets remain available to Kansas farmers, ranchers and manufacturers,” Moran said.
U.S. Senator Pat Roberts said in a statement that he is “pleased” that the three nations could reach a deal, especially since the original NAFTA had a tremendous overall impact on rural America and the agricultural economy.
“This trade pact will provide our farmers and ranchers with much needed export market certainty and will strengthen the relationship with two of our most important trading partners,” Roberts said.
Marshall also said the new deal could be a precursor to the U.S. lifting it’s tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports and that President Trump could have been using them as pressure to get NAFTA done.
“I’ve heard there’s language in here that would impact the auto industry in a positive fashion for the United States — meaning more jobs for the United States in the auto industry — and I think that’s going to allow us to lift the tariffs on steel on Canada and Mexico eventually,” Marshall said.
