United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act

Dec. 19, 2019 | H.R. 5430

The revised USMCA remedied numerous shortcomings contained in the original text. The end result is a vast improvement over both the original NAFTA and the agreement negotiated by President Trump last year. The agreement includes a first-of-its-kind facility-specific enforcement mechanism with rapid timelines and meaningful penalties against facilities for violating the rights of freedom of association and collective bargaining. The new USMCA also improves enforcement by eliminating the provision that would allow any party to block the formation of a dispute resolution panel when state-to-state conflicts arise; it severely limits Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS); it removes unreasonable barriers to trade complaints by making clear there is a presumption that labor violations are trade-related; it removes troubling language on violence against workers; and it bans trade in goods made with forced labor. Importantly, the revised USMCA also eliminates the giveaway to Big Pharma in the administration's initial proposal. The updated USMCA means trade in America will now be fairer because of our hard work and perseverance. The bill passed the House on Dec. 17, 2019, and was signed into law on Jan. 29, 2020.

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