Wyden and Crapo Highlight Energy, Agriculture, Environment, Digital Trade and Labor Enforcement in Letter to USTR
Washington, D.C. – Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Ranking Member Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, called for the administration to continue to press for strong enforcement of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to ensure American trading partners live up to their obligations, in a letter today to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai.
Wyden and Crapo said they appreciate USTR’s work to combat Canadian dairy trade barriers and use of the Rapid Response Mechanism to address labor violations in Mexico. But they called for USTR to do more to enforce the trade deal.
“Congress approved USMCA with large bipartisan majorities, in no small part because the deal included strong rules and the mechanisms necessary to enforce those rules,” Wyden and Crapo wrote. “Three years later, it is disappointing that Canada and Mexico have failed to come into full compliance with the Agreement—and, in some cases, have flouted their obligations. To ensure that all parties and stakeholders—including U.S. farmers, workers, and businesses—reap the full benefits of USMCA, USTR must take decisive action to ensure full compliance with the Agreement and with dispute settlement panel findings. It is critical to ensure that every chapter of USMCA is fully and timely enforced.”
The Finance Committee leaders highlighted trade challenges in several areas, including the energy sector, agriculture, the environment, digital trade and labor, which need to be resolved, including through enforcement action if necessary, to ensure American workers, farmers and employers benefit from the deal.
Read the full letter here.