Lieutenant Governor Will Ainsworth on Thursday joined other members of the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association (RLGA) in sending a letter to President Donald Trump supporting his new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which would replace NAFTA if ratified.
In a statement to Yellowhammer News, Ainsworth said, “I am proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Trump as we work to protect and prioritize American jobs, American goods, and American trade. While other presidents signed lopsided deals that exported American jobs to foreign workers, President Trump is negotiating commonsense deals that keep American jobs here in the USA.”
In the letter, the group of lieutenant governors advised, “[W]e believe this agreement will benefit all our states and improve trade conditions for the business community.”
The letter outlines throughout how the USMCA would be beneficial for American manufacturing (especially automotive manufacturing, which is especially key for the Yellowhammer State) and agriculture, which is Alabama’s biggest industry.
RLGA letter as follows:
Dear Mr. President:
We write to commend you and your Administration for following through on your promise to renegotiate and implement trade deals that protect American workers, create a level playing field, and encourage free and fair trade.
During your State of the Union address, you eloquently discussed how the new United States- Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will modernize our trade relationships to support a 21st century economy that is ever changing and rapidly evolving.
As lieutenant governors, one of our main responsibilities is to promote economic growth, and under the new provisions renegotiated in the USMCA, we believe this agreement will benefit all our states and improve trade conditions for the business community.
After nearly a quarter of a century of broken promises by Washington, the unbalanced and out-of- date trade deals have left American workers, manufacturers, and farmers at a distinct economic disadvantage. Unlike NAFTA, the USMCA incentivizes American manufacturing, expands market access for American agricultural products, protects the intellectual property of American innovators, and ensures that our trading partners follow enforceable and reasonable environmental standards.
Many farmers in our states benefitted under NAFTA, but this agreement improves upon the previous trade deal by continuing to expand the list of exportable agricultural goods, particularly for American dairy and wheat farmers.
This renegotiation will encourage vehicle and auto parts production in the United States, while also requiring American automobile manufacturing workers are paid a fair and just wage. Additionally, this agreement requires that all parties adopt and maintain internationally agreed- upon labor practices.
For the first time in a United States trade agreement, the USMCA specifically outlines how American small businesses can engage and prosper in international trade through information- sharing tools and decreased onerous regulations.
The American people elected you to protect their interests, bring back family-supporting jobs, and renegotiate trade deals that have disproportionately affected workers, farmers, and manufacturers.
As economic ambassadors for our respective states, we are proud to support you, Vice President Mike Pence, and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer for your leadership in keeping your promise to the American people for more balanced and reciprocal trade.
We believe the USMCA deal provides American workers and farmers with the necessary protections and framework for robust economic growth in the 21st century. We urge the passage of this trade deal and remain able and ready to promote its achievements.
RELATED: Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell urges Congress to ratify USMCA
Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
