USMCA Deal A Mixed Bag For Florida
December 23rd, 2019 by Jake StofanOverall, Florida stands to win big if the new United States Mexico Trade Agreement clears the finish line in Congress according to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, but one of Florida’s largest industries didn’t get everything it had hoped for in the deal passed by the US House Friday.
With the US House approving the United States Mexico Canada Trade agreement business groups in Florida are breathing a sigh of relief.
“This helps to ensure that those trade wars can stop. That tariffs are not going to overly burden Floridians and hit them in the wallet,” said Edie Ousley with the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
The two boarder countries are both in the top six international buyers of Florida exports.
Florida exports about $58 billion worth of goods about $48 billion in services each year.
“When you think about jobs more than 2.5 million Floridians are actually employed in international trade,” said Ousley.
But not everyone is happy.
Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried tweeted Thursday expressing her disappointment that added protections for Florida farmers didn’t make it into the final product.
“It’s deeply disappointing that seasonal protections were not included in this #USMCA legislation. Florida remains committed to continuing our fight through all available channels to protect our vital seasonal produce industry, and to put Florida’s and America’s farmers first,”said Fried.
Quincy tomato farmer Graves Williams said cheaper Mexican produce has decimated many Florida farmers.
“We need the seasonal protections immensely so because at certain times of the year they grow so much produce down there it has to come to the states,” said Williams.
Williams said as far as Florida farmers are concerned, the USMCA won’t make their situation worse, but it won’t make it better like they’d hoped.
“Let’s hope in the future that it happens because the United States really does need to feed itself. We don’t need other countries feeding us,” said Williams.
The USMCA still needs to pass the Senate.
That could come early next year, given it’s not delayed by the impeachment trial.USMCA A Mixed Bag For Florida
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