TECH CEOS URGE CONGRESS TO PASS NEW NAFTA

TechNet, a network of technology CEOs, wrote to Congress on Tuesday expressing their support for President Trump’s revised North American trade deal.

The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which Trump signed to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in November, faces an uphill battle in Congress. The letter was sent ahead of U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s trip to Congress on Tuesday to give an update on the agreement.

“Much has changed in our economy since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was ratified 24 years ago. Since then, the internet has revolutionized the way we do business, and digital trade has become a major driver of economic growth worldwide,” TechNet’s CEO, Linda Moore, wrote in the letter to the Senate Finance Committee.

A similar letter went to the House Ways & Means Committee, where Lighthizer will testify Wednesday.

The USMCA promotes “market access, boosts digital trade, protects intellectual property and encourages the free flow of data across boarders,” TechNet’s vice president of federal policy, government relations and communications, Alex Burgos, told The Hill on Tuesday.

He added, “it is a net plus for the American economy, American workers and would usher in a new era of economic prosperity for the continent” and that the association “whole-heartedly” supports USMCA and hopes Congress can get it passed as soon as possible.