After months of negotiations, the House Democrats threw their support behind a new trade deal to replace NAFTA. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is largely seen as a success for the Trump Administration.
Idaho politicians have applauded the plan, in part because of its implications for Idaho's agricultural exports.
Idaho Congressman Mike Crapo said in a press release, “With our economy already at historic levels thanks to President Trump, the USMCA will provide additional tools for success to further improve the work of Idahoans and the overall American economy.”
Governor Little also expressed his support for the deal. He said Canada and Mexico are two major trading partners for Idaho and the two countries account for almost 50% of Idaho food and agriculture export value.
The deal would benefit Idaho producers in the wheat, dairy and cattle industries, among others, by preserving existing markets and improving access to markets in some cases, like making more U.S. dairy products available in Canada.
An earlier iteration of this plan is publicly available, but a copy with updates from the latest round of negotiations is not, yet. The House of Representatives could negotiate and vote on the trade agreement this month.
Find reporter Rachel Cohen on Twitter @racheld_cohen
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