Farmers that we all represent. Thank you for being here. Our countrys important trading partners according to the International Trade commission. The year 2017, more than one third of americas merchandise exports went to mexico and canada. In that year, mexico and canada imported more than half 1 trillion of american goods, plus more than 91 billion of American Services for iowa. On mexico tolars canada. Support 130,000 jobs. Foundation of a strong trading relationship with mexico and canada has been thus far nafta. Mexico andstates canada negotiated that agreement between 1990 and 1993 at the time it was a new standard of trade agreements. It helped to mexico reform indoor market economy. Enabled american businesses, workers, farmers and ranchers to sell our goods and services in mexico and canada without tariffs and without nontariff barriers that for decades had burdened our ability to complete in compete in those two countries. The u. S. Economy and global trade have changed dramat
More relevant than others. On television and online, cspan is your unfillerred view of unfiltered view of government so you can make up your own mind. Brought to you as a Public Service by your cable or satellite provider. Now, the Senate Finance Committee Examines the u. S. Mexicocanada trade agreement. Former agriculture secretary tom vilsack, along with a panel of trade and industry representatives, testified on how the usmca could impact the average american as well as how it differs from the 1994 north American Free trade agreement. Meeting will come to order. We welcome our witnesses. Were here to have testimony from a range of industries to tell us about the importance of the United Statesmexicocanada agreement, and we soon are referring that to always as usmca. We look forward to hearing from our witnesses about the significance of the agreement to american businesses, both small and large, the workers, the farmers that we all represent. Thank you for being here. Mexico and can
The committee will cut the committee will come to order. Today, we welcome ambassador , including or negotiations with china, japan, and u. S. He u. K. Participation in wto. We are pleased to welcome you back. Have been eager to consult with you and it has taken a while to get this hearing on the books. To the members of the committee and american public, the democrats are already engaged with you and and allows us to further the engagement. I commit to you as a half the past many months, continue working with you on nafta in good faith based on facts and a desire to make responsible policy. The opportunity we have to ove nafta we can ensure that there are protections respected and Affordable Access to medicines is for now and the future. All of this is too important to rush. Im not the only person making this point. It is consistent from the. Usiness roundtable i believe from working with you, wef a lot in common have a lot in common. With respect to a larger trade agreement agenda, a
Levinson. But, you know with nafta we engaged in the negotiations, opposed the ultimate agreement. We used the agreement when i was in place, and in particular we used the labor chapter, the labor Side Agreement very sig rousely dozens of times over the course of the last to or so years and it was a frustrating experience because i think Everybody Knows the critique of the nafta Side Agreement was that it wasnt enforceable, the provisions are weak and it does designed not to be used and never to come to actual dispute settlement. Its fulfilled that promise very well. But weve also criticized the nafta template. Thats what i would like to focus on today. We have one question in front of us, which is will nafta be renegotiated if at all, should bit renegotiated, how should it be renegotiated. But what does the nafta agreement immediate for our trade policy and what should be the principles that guide our tried policies going forward. I want to talk about nafta absolutely but i also want
By 16 . What is your rationale for that cut . Well, i mean, dealing with this whole problem of Sexual Violence is something that is obviously not on yougsly but is extremely important to us. Were making, i guess, changes here. Its a cut. As there theyre fazing out the prison rape review panel. These are grants. Yeah. I mean, there are ways in which you know, we have to make determinations about how were going to use the money that we have. We have a budget that is good, not as great as we would want it to be, so weve had to make some tough determinations about how we spend the money that we have. And to the extent that there were cuts there, we think that they were ones that were difficult to make but nevertheless will leave us with the ability to enforce prea in the way that was intended. I doubt that you really support cutting the grants by 16 . But unicor is beginning to use the authority to allow them to repatriot jobs back to the u. S. Increase the products. So that men and women