Arizona, Sonora governors say ‘time is now’ to ratify USMCA

The governors of Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, released joint letters Wednesday urging the ratification of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

BY JESSICA SWARNER

Jun 19, 2019, 12:36 PM Updated: 2:19 pm

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(Getty Images Photo/Mike Moore for Leisure Opportunities)

PHOENIX — The governors of Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, released joint letters to both federal governments Wednesday urging the ratification of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

The letter to Arizona’s members of Congress, signed by Govs. Doug Ducey and Claudia Pavlovich Arellano, said the trade deal replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement will “bring benefits to both our countries, and help Arizona and Sonora reach our full potential.”

President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a minimum 5% tariff on Mexican imports earlier this month in an effort to cut down on illegal immigration had many Arizona leaders worried about the state of trade between the countries.

The letter denounced the tariffs and called on both the U.S. and Mexican governments to refocus efforts on passing the trade deal.

#USMCA provides a once in a generation opportunity to take Arizona’s trade relationship with Mexico to the next level. Sonora Governor @ClaudiaPavlovic and I are calling upon our federal legislatures to get this done. The time is now. https://t.co/o66ZgqusdE pic.twitter.com/5LYCB3WtI2

— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) June 19, 2019

“The recent agreement reached between our two countries can and should be used as a stepping stone to move forward on trade,” the letter stated.

“We all agree that tariffs on goods flowing between our states and countries would be a setback to our strong relationship, and we are encouraged that the leaders of both of our countries have reached a resolution.”

The governors said in the letter that two-way trade between Arizona and Mexico was up 7.7% for a total of $16.6 billion last year, but the USMCA will take those numbers “to the “next level.”

The Arizona Chamber of Commerce supported the governors’ efforts, saying the pair represents a “model” relationship.

“We strongly support their joint call for passage of the USMCA, which will strengthen our countries’ and states’ economies,” the group said in a tweet.

The Trump administration can submit its legislation to implement the proposed deal, which will need to be passed by Congress, as early as the end of this month.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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