WASHINGTON (December 10, 2019) – The following statement may be attributed to American Chemistry Council (ACC) President and CEO, Chris Jahn, in response to Speaker Pelosi’s announcement that the White House and House Democrats have concluded talks on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA):
“ACC and our members are strongly encouraged by the Speaker’s announcement of a potential agreement that would codify important improvements to USMCA and possibly fast-track its passage in Congress. We commend Ambassador Lighthizer and Speaker Pelosi for their dogged pursuit of a trade agreement that will benefit U.S. businesses, workers, and consumers. ACC looks forward to reviewing the proposed changes closely to ensure chemicals manufacturers will continue to thrive under the new agreement.
“U.S. chemicals manufacturers can strengthen our competitiveness and win with countries like China when we are free to innovate across borders and take advantage of integrated supply chains with our two largest trading partners in Canada and Mexico. Under USMCA, the benefits of increased regulatory cooperation can also be deployed to prevent and reduce unnecessary regulatory barriers to trade while continuing to protect human health and the environment.
“We strongly urge both sides to build on the momentum of this announcement by swiftly finalizing implementing legislation that the House and Senate could vote on before the holiday recess.”
