Vice President Mike Pence visited Artesia, New Mexico yesterday as part of the effort to drum up support for his administration’s new trilateral trade deal, the USMCA or U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement. His visit to the Permian Basin oil town was intended to demonstrate the many benefits of passing the updated trade deal as well as encourage locals to push their congressional delegation to vote in favor of passing the trade deal into law.

“The clock is ticking,” Mr. Pence told the crowd as he praised local oil and gas production that helped make America the number 1 oil producer in the world and a net exporter of energy for the first time in 70 years. “Mexico is the No. 1 importer of U.S. natural gas and fuel,” he said. “This is a win for America, this is an even bigger win for states that rely on trade with their neighbors, such as New Mexico.” 

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, who spoke before the vice president, said New Mexico brings in about $1.5 billion a year from exports to Mexico and Canada and said it would only grow under the new agreement. Read more about the speech HERE. 

New Mexican Manufacturers cannot afford to lose access to the tariff-free trade zone across North America that is secured by a strong and balanced trade agreement like the USMCA. should the USMCA not be passed by congress, New Mexico’s manufactured goods exports to Canada and Mexico could face as much as $14 million to $461 million in extra taxes (compared to zero tariffs today under the old rules of NAFTA) and impact the 63,000 New Mexican jobs that are supported by trade with Mexico and Canada. NMBC urges our supporters to contact their congressional delegates and tell them to vote “YES” on passing the USMCA into law. For additional information on the USMCA and contacting your Congressional representative click HERE.