Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill was to attend the singing of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement at the White House on Wednesday, his office announced.
“In 2017, Alabama companies exported nearly $22 billion in goods, which supports 500,000 jobs in the state, and in 2015, over 4,000 companies exported goods from The Yellowhammer State – 80% of which were small and medium-sized enterprises.” Merrill wrote in a letter of support for the deal to congressional leaders in 2019. “Alabama’s international engagement also fuels job growth and increases exports. Alabama businesses’ success depends on the participation and competitiveness with its global counterparts. In fact, Mexico, who recently ratified USMCA, is Alabama’s fourth-largest market, totaling $2.8 billion in exports in 2017.”
President Donald Trump is expected to sign the agreement into law on Wednesday. Trump made the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement a key element of his bid for the presidency in 2016.
“Trade is vital to our state, and the USMCA will help to boost local economies and allow for Alabama-made products to be shipped internationally. I am grateful for the leadership demonstrated by President Trump and his Administration, as well as the Alabama congressional delegation,” Merrill’s letter of support reads.
