WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S. — The Senate Finance Committee on Jan. 7 by a 25 to 3 vote approved legislation implementing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and sent the bill to the full Senate for its consideration and vote. It was not known when the Senate will take up the legislation. The House of Representative passed the bill before the winter recess.

Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the finance committee, said, “Today is years in the making. President Trump ran on updating the former North American trade deal. Soon, the entire country will benefit as a result.

“I commend President Trump, Ambassador Lighthizer and my colleagues in Congress for their hard work in getting to this point. This modernized trilateral trade agreement will open new markets for American exporters, create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, grow the national economy and protect U.S. workers. I expect the full Senate will act soon and that final approval of USMCA is just around the corner. That is good news for millions of farmers, manufacturers and workers in every corner of America.”

 Ranking member Ron Wyden of Oregon, said, “Thanks to hard work by my colleagues on the Finance Committee and in the House, this new NAFTA delivers long-overdue upgrades to labor standards, the environment and digital trade, while providing certainty to farmers and manufacturers who have been hammered in recent years. The overwhelming bipartisan committee vote today is a testament to all of the members who put in the elbow grease to make sure the new NAFTA puts American workers front and center.”