OTTAWA – Bob Nault, Member of Parliament (Kenora riding) released the following statement regarding the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA):
“I am very pleased that we have reached a preliminary agreement with our North American counterparts. It is a complex, intricate agreement, but Canada has walked away with a deal that protects Canadian businesses, workers, and their families through a new, modernized three-country trade agreement worth $1.2-trillion in annual trade.
“While the deal still needs to be ratified by the United States Congress, this preliminary agreement will provide more certainty and stability for Canadian businesses, leading to more jobs and tariff-free access to the largest market economy in the world. Currently, Canada exports 75 percent of its goods to the United States, so while the new trade agreement is integral to our economy, it’s clear that we must continue to diversify our trade with other countries throughout the world.
“Although, not a part of the new USMCA agreement, we will continue our discussions on the unfair aluminum and steel tariffs imposed by the U.S, with the goal of seeing these tariffs lifted, to the benefit of businesses and consumers on both sides of the border.
“We approached these difficult negotiations with patience and diligence, and we now have a deal that I believe will benefit all Canadians in both the short and long term.”
