All members of Arizona’s U.S. House delegation Thursday voted in favor of legislation to implement the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement — called USMCA — a decision cheered by Arizona’s business community.

“We are deeply��appreciative of the members of the Arizona congressional delegation — Republican and Democrat — who voted to strengthen Arizona’s ties between our leading trade partners Mexico and Canada,” said Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona ���ϳԹ��� of Commerce and Industry.

The state’s congressional delegation in 1993 also voted as a unified bipartisan bloc when Congress voted to implement the North American Free Trade Agreement, the precursor to USMCA, something Hamer urged the 2019 delegation to repeat.

“We thought it was very important for the state of Arizona to maintain that type of record,” Hamer said.

The House vote to implement USMCA was overwhelming: 385-41.

The Senate vote, which is anticipated to take place next month, is also expected to be definitive.

Members of the Arizona congressional delegation spoke out after the vote, calling it a “major win” for Arizona.

“Today, I am proud to finally vote ‘yes’ on USMCA,” said Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. “We have worked tirelessly to get this modernized trade agreement across the finish line, and while it took longer than we all expected, I am pleased to see the USMCA finally be passed to help strengthen our trading relationships a cross North America.”

Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., who has been a vocal proponent of USMCA, spoke on the House floor in favor of USMCA on Thursday.

“Those of us in border states understand the value of trading with our neighbors, and I can tell you that growing trade relationships with Mexico and Canada is essential��to Arizona��— and this new agreement will offer a big lift to our local��companies,” Stanton said. “Today we have a real opportunity��to cement certainty for job creators. From multinational��companies to mid-sized and small businesses, from tech��workers to farm workers, there’s no doubt that the new��USMCA is a win for all Arizonans.”

Following the vote, Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., released a statement:

“The USMCA is a big win for the state of��Arizona. Although I am disappointed it took��Speaker Pelosi over a year to bring the��USMCA to the floor for a vote, I am glad we��could finally secure this victory for Arizona��and the United States. Implementing the��USMCA puts American workers first with��176,000 jobs, higher wages, and $68 billion��in economic growth. I am proud to have��supported the USMCA since before I was��elected to Congress and today on the House��floor.”

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Nearly 70 organizations and businesses from across Arizona sent a letter this week to the state’s congressional delegation urging its members to vote to pass legislation that would implement the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement trade deal.

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the legislation later today.

“Trade with Mexico and Canada is a critical component of Arizona’s economic competitiveness,” the letter read. “Almost 50% of all Arizona exports go to Mexico and Canada, and more than 228,000 Arizona jobs rely on this trade.”

In addition to large business advocacy groups like the Arizona ���ϳԹ��� of Commerce and Industry, the Greater Phoenix ���ϳԹ��� and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the letter was signed by local chambers of commerce including those from Lake Havasu, Gilbert and Glendale — to name a few — as well as private businesses such as UPS, Tucson Electric Power and the Phoenix Suns.

The United States ���ϳԹ��� of Commerce this week also sent its own coalition letter to Congress, signed by more than 700 chambers of commerce and industry associations from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, urging legislators to swiftly pass USMCA.

“USMCA is critical to our economic future because it will preserve and strengthen U.S. trade ties to Canada and Mexico,” the read.

“More than 12 million American jobs depend on trade with Canada and Mexico. U.S. manufacturers export more made-in-America manufactured goods to our North American neighbors than they do to the next 11 largest export markets combined, and the two countries account for nearly one-third of U.S. agricultural exports.”

The U.S. ���ϳԹ��� sent an earlier version of the letter in July.

Thomas J. Donahue, CEO of the ���ϳԹ���, issued a statement earlier this month following news that the Trump administration and House Democrats reached a to move forward with USMCA.

“We thank U.S. Representative Robert Lighthizer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal, and members of the House Democrats’ Working Group for their leadership and hard work,” Donahue said in the statement. “We are optimistic this development will open the door to final approval of USMCA on a bipartisan basis by the end of the year, which will especially benefit American��farmers, manufacturers, and small businesses. We look forward to reviewing the details of the deal with our members and assessing their impact.”

The letter to Congress — sent Dec. 17 and addressed simply to “members of the United States Congress” — said approval of USMCA will ensure U.S. manufacturers, farmers and service providers can continue to access markets in Canada and Mexico.

“USMCA will also modernize North American trade rules,” the letter continued. “For example, when NAFTA [the North American Free Trade Agreement] was negotiated a quarter century ago, there was no e-commerce; consequently, the agreement did not address this sector. While no trade agreement is perfect, USMCA’s updated trade rules in areas such as digital trade, services, and non-tariff barriers promise substantial benefits.”

Arizona organizations that signed the letter include: the Arizona ���ϳԹ���, the Arizona Manufacturers Council, GPEC, the Latina Coalition of Ports and Borders, the Arizona Mining Association and chambers of commerce from cities across the state, both large and small.

To see the U.S. ���ϳԹ���’s full coalition letter and a list of its signatories, .

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In an exclusive interview with ���ϳԹ���, Ruben Alvarez, managing partner at the Molera Alvarez government affairs firm and former executive director of the Arizona-Mexico Commission, describes the social and economic relationships between Arizona and Mexico, the importance of cross-border collaboration and the role of the Arizona-Mexico Commission.

Question: You formerly served as the executive director of the Arizona-Mexico Commission. When did you first get involved with the Commission, and in what capacity?

Answer: I got started with the Arizona-Mexico Commission in the early ‘90s, and I actually started as an intern. Once I graduated from college at Arizona State University, I was hired on as a project specialist, and over the years I was able to work my way to become the director of the Arizona-Mexico Commission and eventually became Gov. policy advisor for Mexico.��

Q: Any notable memories from the time you were executive director?

A: During the ‘90s… in 1993 was the ratification of NAFTA. So, during that time, there was a lot of activity and interest in the relationship between the United States and Mexico, and back then, in 1992, from Arizona and from Sonora actually established offices in each other’s capital, which was an impetus for a lot of the economic development activities that took place in the early ‘90s.

Q: How has working with the Arizona-Mexico Commission, its partner organizations and different governors’ administrations shaped your view of the cross-border relationship?

A: I was actually able to witness first-hand all of the because of the relationships that were established over the years between Arizona and Sonora — a lot of issues, challenges that were overcome because there was a close relationship, and there were lines of communication where each administration was able to pick up the phone and talk to one another, to be able to resolve issues and also to be able to take advantage of opportunities as they were created.

Q: Why do you feel the continued relationship and collaboration between Arizona and Mexico is important for Arizonans, even if they are not involved with trade?

A: The is a very unique organization. There have been other border states and, quite frankly, other countries that have tried to replicate the efforts of the Arizona-Mexico Commission, and they haven’t been as successful. And the reason they haven’t been as successful is because the people, the membership that are involved with the Arizona-Mexico Commission have continually worked to develop and to establish processes that have helped both states accomplish everything they’ve been able to do.

Q: The Arizona-Mexico Commission has obviously grown and changed over the years and under different governors. What’s new, and what do you think of the Commission’s latest projects?

A: I think that every governor who was chaired the Arizona-Mexico Commission has been able to imprint their own focus and their own priorities on the work of the Arizona-Mexico Commission, but through the years — and , quite frankly — the one thing that has remained is the energy and the importance that individuals, both in the private and public sector, have placed on the relationship.

When you look back, originally the organization was created to form friendships and to build trust between the two states, and through the years each governor who has come along has been able to build upon the foundation that was created, whether it’s on economic development, whether it’s health, education, law enforcement and even . There have been a lot of great projects, collaboration that has been established, and that has helped both states.

Q: For people who may not know about it, can you tell me about the (USMCA) and how that could be significant for Arizona?

A:�� The reason the USMCA is so important to Arizona is because Mexico is Arizona’s largest trading partner. There are over 228,000 jobs that are associated with trade with Mexico, and that impacts our economic development here in this state.

As I mentioned before, in 1993, when NAFTA was ratified, I had the pleasure and the honor of getting started with the Arizona-Mexico Commission, so I witnessed first-hand all the benefits and the opportunities that were created because that agreement was established.

The , now, is providing sort of an update of NAFTA, providing the states along the border, and the three countries, with new opportunities: enhanced [methods to address] labor issues, taking advantage of the new technologies that have been created since ’93 until now. And all of it, basically, establishes a set of principles that help each country with transparency and with their abilities to move forward with this trade agreement.

Q: Is there anything Arizonans should definitely know about the relationship between Arizona and Mexico?

A: I think that between Arizona and Mexico is very, very important, because we share cultural ties; we share historical bonds; we share a border. The reality is environmental issues, health issues and other issues don’t necessarily respect boundaries, so we have to work in collaboration with one another, because we are border states, and by working together we can help resolve issues that impact both of our communities.

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Arizona business leaders and elected officials are cheering Tuesday’s announcement that the Trump administration has reached a deal with Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi that paves the way for Congress to vote to formally adopt the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a new tri-national trade deal to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement.

“America’s great USMCA Trade Bill is looking good,” President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday. “It will be the best and most important trade deal ever made by the USA. Good for everybody – Farmers, Manufacturers, Energy, Unions – tremendous support.”

In a later tweet, Trump said it looked like the USMCA had “very good Democratic support.”

“There is no question of course that this trade agreement is much better than NAFTA,” Pelosi said during the announcement, according to .

Democrats have withheld support for finalizing the USMCA until specific changes were added, including protections for workers and a provision that would prevent high prescription drug prices.

Pelosi tweeted Tuesday that the most current version of the USMCA is “infinitely better” than the original version of the agreement, and she told the agreement is a victory for the American worker.

U.S. Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., a member of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee and the USMCA Republican Whip Team, released a statement praising the decision to move forward with the new agreement.

“We have been working for over a year to move the modernized trade agreement across the finish line,” he said. “While bipartisanship support for this agreement has been in place for many months, I am pleased to see Speaker Pelosi will finally allow this job creating agreement to come to the House floor for a vote.”

Representatives from the state have encouraged the House to take up the legislation, which both Democrats and Republicans believe will create jobs in trade and agriculture while allowing closer collaboration between the three neighboring countries.

“Simply put, trade with our North American allies is essential to Arizona’s economy,” said U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., during an impassioned speech on the House floor .

U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., expressed relief Tuesday that Pelosi agreed to move ahead with the USMCA.

“President Trump negotiated and signed the USMCA over a year ago,” she said. “I am pleased to see Speaker Pelosi finally decided to bring forward this important trade deal that is a victory for Arizona and the United States.”

Lesko said she has supported USMCA publicly since before being elected, and that it is “unfortunate” Democratic leadership has not made the trade deal a priority. She said the agreement will create an estimated 176,000 new jobs.

“Every day we delay this vote only costs us more American jobs, the ability to sell American products in neighboring countries and a stronger economy,” Schweikert said.

Mexico is Arizona’s , while Canada is Arizona’s largest source of foreign direct investment.

According to Schweikert, the USMCA will ensure support for U.S. manufacturers, protect the environment at the border and create new jobs.

“This trade agreement is a win for all Americans, and I look forward to seeing this be implemented for all industries who have long looked to further their success in our booming economy,” Schweikert said.

The released a statement Tuesday from CEO Thomas Donohue, who said the ���ϳԹ��� welcomes the news that the Trump administration and House Democrats had agreed on a path forward for USMCA.

“We thank U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal, and members of the House Democrats’ Working Group for their leadership and hard work,” Donohue said. “We are optimistic this development will open the door to final approval of USMCA on a bipartisan basis by the end of the year, which will especially benefit��American��farmers, manufacturers, and small businesses. We look forward to reviewing the details of the deal with our members and assessing their impact.”

The Arizona ���ϳԹ��� of Commerce and Industry has been one of the USMCA’s most vocal supporters among the Arizona business community, stating that the new agreement modernizes several elements of the existing tri-national agreement, NAFTA.

Arizona ���ϳԹ��� President and CEO Glenn Hamer has spoken with Lighthizer, the U.S. trade representative, and has made several high-level visits to Mexico to meet with leaders from the nation’s executive and legislative branches to help negotiate an effective agreement.

“Ambassador Lighthizer, Mexican Deputy Foreign Minister Jesus Seade and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi deserve a lot of credit for working diligently over the last several weeks to iron out the last remaining details on the best trade agreement the U.S. has ever negotiated,” Hamer said. “Once the USMCA is implemented, no state is as well positioned for economic growth like Arizona. The Arizona ���ϳԹ��� is proud to have played such a positive role on behalf of Arizona’s job creators in seeing this agreement through to this historic day.”

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With only a few legislative days remaining for the United States House of Representatives in 2019, Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz., is urging his colleagues to focus on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement in the waning days of the year.

Stanton took to the House floor Wednesday to deliver a speech extolling the virtues of cross-border trade and its positive impact on Arizona.

“Simply put, trade with our North American allies is essential to Arizona’s economy,” Stanton said. “Now, we have a real opportunity to improve these relationships through USMCA.”

Stanton spoke of his time as mayor of Phoenix, which saw him lead 18 trade missions to Mexico and Canada.

Stanton’s positive remarks about trade come as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expresses skepticism about whether there is time left in 2019 for the House to act on a bill to adopt the new trade deal.

Politico that Pelosi told reporters, “I’m not even sure if we came to an agreement today that it would be enough time to finish [this year], but just depends on how much agreement we come to.”

Stanton, a freshman Democrat, has been one of his party’s of USMCA’s passage.

He and 13 Democratic colleagues sent Pelosi a in July asking her to bring USMCA to a vote this year. In August, Stanton and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey held a tele-town hall discussion during which they touted their support for the new trade agreement.

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Benjamin Aguilera, shareholder and transactional attorney at Greenberg Traurig, has been a member of the Arizona-Mexico Commission since 1994.

He says that the Arizona-Mexico relationship is stronger than ever despite recent ups and downs, and that progress is largely thanks��to the work of Gov. Doug��Ducey.

According to Aguilera, the cross-border collaboration has benefits that go beyond just business and politics — the Arizona-Mexico Commission also helps enhance safety, tourism, real��estate and��more between Arizona and the Mexican state of Sonora.

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The country’s largest business advocacy organization and two leading Arizona business groups have launched a television advertising campaign urging passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA.

The ad features U.S. Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) and highlights her advocacy to ensure the accord passes.

The ad was produced by the U.S. ���ϳԹ��� of Commerce with assistance from the Arizona ���ϳԹ��� of Commerce and Industry and the Arizona Manufacturers Council. AMC Chair Dawn Grove, who serves as corporate counsel for Karsten Manufacturing, also appears in the ad.

The ad launch comes on the heels of a Wednesday on the Senate floor calling the House of Representatives to vote on the USMCA.

“Simply put, USMCA is a win for Arizona,” McSally said. “Trade with Mexico and Canada is key to Arizona jobs and opportunities.”

President Donald Trump signed the USMCA almost a year ago, and McSally said it is critical that Congress gets the deal through for the sake of jobs in Arizona and nationwide.

“Almost 50 percent of all Arizona exports go to Mexico and Canada, and more than 228,000 Arizona jobs rely on this trade,” McSally said. “In 2018, Arizona and Mexico engaged in $16.6 billion worth of cross-border commerce.”

Earlier this month, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said USMCA ratification is getting closer every day.

“We feel very good about being on a path to yes,” Pelosi said in a news conference, . She said Democrats’ main concern is about ensuring the rules are enforced.

McSally said she encourages Democrats to “get to ‘yes’ now” because there are only about two-dozen legislative days remaining in 2019.

“The USMCA is good for our country, and too much time has passed without any House action,” the senator said. “During these divided times, this is a proposal that should bring both sides of the aisle together.”

, the Arizona ���ϳԹ��� and the AMC have been advocating for USMCA’s passage for more than a year.

“Adoption of the USMCA is by far the Arizona ���ϳԹ���’s top federal priority,” said Arizona ���ϳԹ��� president and CEO Glenn Hamer. “We are thrilled to join with the AMC in assisting the U.S. ���ϳԹ��� in the production of the ad.”

The ad will run on cable, broadcast and digital platforms.

“Having an Arizona business leader like Dawn Grove send our thanks to Sen. Martha McSally for her work on the agreement sends the message of just how important this agreement is for Arizona’s economy,” Hamer said.

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The United States ���ϳԹ��� of Commerce issued a call to action to members of the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this month, encouraging them to prioritize the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

Signed by U.S. ���ϳԹ��� president Suzanne P. Clark, the�� urged members of the House to meet with local business leaders and chambers of commerce to better understand the benefits of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, also known as USMCA.

“The next few months are critical for our economy and national prosperity,” the letter reads. “While many parts of the economy are strong, such as employment and wage growth, others are weakening, such as manufacturing and business investment. To keep our economy growing, it is imperative that our nation’s elected leaders take steps to restore certainty and boost business confidence.”

and�� are currently the second- and third-largest goods trading partners to the United States, with a combined $1.2 trillion in two-way goods traded last year. According to the Department of Commerce, U.S. exports of goods and services to Canada and Mexico supported approximately 2.8 million jobs in 2015.

A two-week congressional recess earlier this month featured 60 USMCA-related events across 13 states, 36 of which were hosted by chambers of commerce.

“We’re trying to build a drumbeat of support for USMCA, and we were very gratified that companies and state and local chambers of commerce across the country really stepped up during the recess,” said John Murphy, senior vice president of the U.S. ���ϳԹ���. “Reports we got during the events were really positive about the growing support in Congress.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said last week that the House would be moving forward with the agreement soon. “I can honestly say that I think every day we’re becoming closer,” Pelosi said in a news conference last Thursday.

House Democrats have cited four areas of concern with the agreement: enforcement of the deal, drug pricing and environmental and labor standards. However, U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer has assured the public that these hang-ups will soon be revolved.

“There are some very specific asks there, and we at the U.S. ���ϳԹ��� think it’s quite a reasonable issue that the Democrats have raised in that area, and we’re optimistic it can be resolved,” Murphy said.

Due to the nature of the agreement, most of the negotiations are largely confidential, Murphy emphasized, meaning updates on the USMCA will be infrequent and relatively vague. However, organizations and citizens in support of the agreement can stay engaged on social media by following the hashtag��.

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The U.S. ���ϳԹ��� of Commerce held a press conference yesterday to urge Congress to ratify the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement swiftly. Representatives from the retail, food, automotive and agriculture industries joined the chamber in stating the importance of the USMCA.

Recently, the U.S. ���ϳԹ��� of Commerce spearheaded a�� to Congress signed by more than 600 businesses and organizations across the nation.

“Do you know how hard it was to get 600 organizations to sign on?” Tom Donahue, president of the U.S. ���ϳԹ��� of Commerce, asked during the press conference. “Very easy. It was done very quickly. We could keep adding to it but we felt that this was fairly representative. That’s because the support for the USMCA across the business community is wide and deep and the coalition that was assembled here today is the case in point.”

According to the letter, 12 million jobs in the United States rely on trade with Canada and Mexico. Manufacturers export more goods to the two countries than they do with the next 11 largest export markets combined.

In a recent�� by the Arizona ���ϳԹ��� Foundation and the Arizona-Mexico Commission, between 2015-2017 Arizona exported $10.5 billion annually to Canada and Mexico, and more than 228,000 jobs in Arizona are dependent on the annual trade and investment relationship with our border neighbors. In that same time frame, Arizona ports of entry (POEs) processed an average of 400,000 northbound trucks coming in from Mexico and nearly $28 billion in trade.

“From avocado to asparagus to auto parts to blue jeans to discretionary spending, retailers and the 42 million Americans that they employ rely on the certainty of our relationship with our most important trade partners in Canada and Mexico to make that commerce happen and to make it happen effectively,” president and CEO of the National Retail Federation Matthew Shay said.

Trade is a key component for job growth in any industry. President and CEO of the Corn Refiners Association John Bode emphasized that the food and agriculture industry feeds the economy by providing nearly 20 percent of America’s economic activity.

“Roughly under NAFTA, U.S. agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico have quadrupled. While exports of agricultural commodities are important, that is just part of the story. NAFTA also grew value [to] agricultural exports which is why 1 in 4 American manufacturing jobs is agriculturally-related. The need for USMCA has unified American food and agriculture,” Bode said.

For many Americans, it’s hard to see how a trade agreement can impact their daily lives, CEO of the Food Marketing Institute Leslie Sarasin said. However, she stated that the effects are felt and seen in reliable food supply.

“The USMCA takes a very good trade agreement and makes it better by bringing it into the 21st century,” Sarasin said. “It maintains and secures its existing supply chains resulting in continued growth in U.S. food and beverage exports and most importantly it strengthens our food safety efforts.”

The agreement contains labor provisions, which Matt Blunt, former governor of Missouri and president of the American Automotive Policy Council, said are the cream of the crop when it comes to trade deals.

“The provisions of the automobiles being built to the U.S. safety standards and provisions related to currency are some of the best of any U.S. trade agreement,” Blunt said. “We export more cars and parts from the United States than any other country and we have no more important trading partners than Canada and Mexico.”

Donahue stressed that this agreement is supported by businesses across the board and must be passed in order to keep the economy afloat.

“Here’s the bottom line – you can’t be pro-business and anti-USMCA. You can’t be pro-jobs and anti-USMCA. Remember what’s at stake, trade with Canada and Mexico supports 12 million U.S. jobs are at risk if we fail to act,” he said.

Photo by Martin Falbisoner via

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Last month, the Arizona-Mexico Commission welcomed foreign relations experts to its 60th Anniversary Summit to discuss trade and opportunities in North America.

International Trade Administration director of policy Joseph Laroski, Consul General of Canada in L.A. Zaib Shaikh, and the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute director Duncan Wood joined the summit for the Markets of Opportunity panel discussion.

Melissa Sanderson, AMC board member and��vice president of international affairs for Freeport-McMoRan, moderated the panel.

Sanderson and the panelists discussed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and the opportunities in North American trade.

Mexico — which refers to the agreement as T-MEC — last month, the only country in the agreement to do so at this point.

“Our country’s very much in favor of all three countries doing what they have to do in the timeline they see fit for their constituents, for their governments and their administrations,” Shaikh said.��

Canada — which refers to the agreement as CUSMA — is awaiting parliamentary action on the deal. In order for the U.S. to pass the USMCA, it must be ratified by Congress.

In the U.S., the Republican Congress members are expected to , but Democratic support is not as secure.

“There are Democrats from districts where a lot of business depends upon the certainty that’s given by North American trade… And so, there will be pressure on those Democrats to go for ratification,” Wood explained.

The panelists also discussed the importance of not letting migrant controversies at the border impact the productivity of trade.��

“There’s no reason to hold up our trade relationship due to the immigration issues that we have before us,” Laroski said.

Last month, President Donald Trump would be placed on imported goods from Mexico to Arizona unless Mexico stopped or slowed the stream of migrant caravans to the U.S. border.

The tariffs were suspended indefinitely after Mexico agreed to put more resources into addressing the issue. But experts fear the cross-border migration issues will impact trade.

“For the next year as we move up to the 2020 election, I’m afraid that trade is going to be a very political issue — migration, security are connected with trade,” Wood said.

“The threat of tax works so that when the time comes where it makes sense to use them again, from his point of view, they’re going to come back,” Wood said.

The Markets of Opportunity panel was held Friday, June 28, at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa.

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