Today, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz issued the following statement regarding the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”), which passed the U.S. House of Representatives in a 385-41 vote yesterday. The USMCA will impact NYS exports to Canada and Mexico including agriculture, digital trade, small business, manufacturing, intellectual property and more. In 2018, NYS exports to these countries totaled $20.3 billion.

“I commend Congress for their actions this week, both to protect our democracy and then our economy with the passage of the USMCA, a revised trade agreement that will better protect American producers and create a more level playing field for their goods. Here in Erie County, among other impacts the USMCA will improve our dairy and agricultural producers’ access to nearby Canadian markets while further strengthening the centuries-old trading relationship between our great countries,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “This agreement also has a positive impact on the automotive industry, which is a key employer here in Western New York. Canada is our largest trading partner and many Canadian companies have located offices here in Erie County, only 90 miles away from Toronto. A strong and sensible trade relationship between our countries benefits millions of workers and families on both sides of the border and the USMCA underscores that relationship.”

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