Artesia- Today, House Republican Floor Leader Jim Townsend issued a statement as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) goes into effect.

"Today marks the start of a more balanced trade system with Canada and Mexico," said House Republican Leader Jim Townsend. "I give President Trump tremendous credit for ushering this complicated deal through. We are now in a position to protect not just American manufacturing jobs, but to protect all American consumers as the global free trade arena continues to change."

The USMCA is a complete overhaul of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), with modern, strengthened, and rebalanced rules of trade and investment for North America. This 21st Century trade agreement sets high standards in areas that are crucial to America's continued growth, including manufacturing, digital trade, financial services, agriculture, and small business. And its innovative provisions will help grow the economy and support additional jobs here in the United States, particularly in the manufacturing sector.

The USMCA addresses numerous trade imbalances resulting from the original NAFTA agreements and will now afford more access to agricultural markets, protects intellectual property while eliminating burdensome regulations, addresses unfair subsidies and non-market practices that hurt American Jobs, builds upon NAFTA's labor and environmental rights, and now requires vehicles must be built with at least 75 percent of parts made in North America in order to qualify for zero tariffs, an increase from 62.5 percent under the original agreement. Finally, 40 to 45% of an automobile must be made by workers making at least $16/hour.

"The USMCA is great for the American worker," said Leader Townsend. "Thank you to President Trump and Congressional leaders for working together to make this new agreement a reality."