Phoenix, Arizona - Governor Doug Ducey released the following statement on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) taking effect July 1st:
“Today, the USMCA goes into effect, taking Arizona’s trade relationships and job opportunities to the next level. Our trade with Mexico and Canada already supports more than 228,000 Arizona jobs and $20 billion annually, and Arizona is poised to benefit even more with the USMCA. Arizona is grateful to our North American neighbors for the continued support, and our workforce looks forward to building on our growing relationships. My thanks to the community and business leaders, the Arizona delegation and the Administration for their help in getting this trade agreement to the finish line.”
Background:
Governor Ducey was a consistent and vocal advocate for the USMCA.
On June 9, 2019, Governor Ducey and Sonoran Governor Claudia Pavlovich released joint letters urging ratification of the USMCA before the 60th anniversary summit of the Arizona-Mexico Commission in Phoenix. Earlier in the year, Governor Ducey sent letters to Arizona’s Congressional delegation urging support of the trade deal, calling on Congress to, “move towards ratification of the USMCA as quickly as possible.”
In August 2019, Governor Ducey launched the USMCA Now website, an online tool featuring Arizona-specific information related to the state’s trade relationships with Canada and Mexico. The website, which outlines the benefits of the Agreement, provided Arizonans resources to learn more about USMCA and get engaged to support ratification. Governor Ducey also discussed the importance of USMCA ratification at events with Mexican Ambassador to the United States Martha Bárcena, Governor of Sonora Claudia Pavlovich, and with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce during a visit to our nation’s capital.