Wyden Statement on New NAFTA Taking Effect Today

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement on the new NAFTA agreement entering into force today:

“After 25 years, NAFTA needed a whole new approach to make sure that all Americans benefit from our trade relationships in North America, and to update it for the trade issues we face today.

“Congressional Democrats did not waver in their demands for a revised agreement that puts the interests of workers and communities on the same plane as businesses and farmers. As a result, the New NAFTA has the strongest labor, environment and enforcement provisions ever negotiated in a U.S. trade agreement.

“In particular, the Rapid Response Labor Mechanism that I worked on with Senator Brown and others has the potential to ensure that labor rights are upheld at individual facilities in Mexico. The agreement’s digital provisions are cutting edge and will support the U.S. economy. But, without constant focus on enforcing the agreement, it will end up as just so many words on the page.

“The difficult work of implementing the new agreement starts now.

“The US government must make sure that U.S. workers, businesses, farmers and ranchers get the full benefit of the agreement. I will work hard to make that happen.”

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