Cantwell, DelBene Urge U.S. Trade Representative to Support Assistance for Trade Capacity Building
Capacity building is essential for growing trade
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the administration continues to work with Congress on the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA), U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, and U.S. Representative Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, today wrote to United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer, urging him to include U.S. technical assistance for labor enforcement programs in Mexico. The members also have urged the administration to support the trade infrastructure vital to growing trade between the U.S. and Mexico.
“As you consider how to move forward on the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA), we urge the administration to support robust U.S. assistance for capacity building through the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Agency for International Development,” Cantwell and DelBene wrote to Ambassador Lighthizer.
Trade with Mexico is critical for Washington state’s economy. In 2018, the state exported more than $2.1 billion worth of goods to Mexico, and trade with Mexico helps support more than 107,000 Washington jobs.
“Capacity building is key to strengthening enforcement of labor rights – an essential element of the USMCA. Furthermore, the United States must also have the requisite resources to monitor and enforce the labor obligations in the USMCA in order to protect workers throughout North America,” the members continued. “Whether it be through capacity building support or monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, we need to make clear that the United States is committed to supporting Mexico's labor reform process.”
Capacity building and trade enforcement programs have long been a priority for Cantwell. In 2015, she worked to create the Trade Enforcement Trust Fund, which provides resources for enforcement actions and helps agencies in charge of enforcing international trade agreements build capacity with trading partners on environmental, labor, intellectual property, and other issues. She also raised the issue at a Finance Committee hearing earlier this year. DelBene serves on the Trade Subcommittee on the Ways and Means Committee and has worked hard to ensure that our trade agreements work for American families, workers, and farmers. DelBene also serves as the co-chair of the Congressional Digital Trade Caucus.
The full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
December 5, 2019
Dear Ambassador Lighthizer:
As you consider how to move forward on the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA), we urge the administration to support robust U.S. technical assistance for trade capacity building through the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Agency for International Development. As you know, Mexico enacted an important new labor law – ensuring Mexican workers’ rights to organize and to enter into collective bargaining agreements and creating a new system of labor courts. Mexico must now digitize and review hundreds of thousands of labor agreements, train judges and other professionals, and ensure that Mexican workers know their rights and that Mexican companies comply with the new law. We also need to help Mexico bolster its capacity to combat child and forced labor given increased pressure from Central American migration and to ensure that other core labor rights are robustly protected. Mexico has asked for international assistance and the United States can be a good partner for both the Mexican government and civil society.
Trade capacity building is key to strengthening enforcement of labor rights – an essential element of the USMCA. Furthermore, the United States must also have the requisite resources to monitor and enforce the labor obligations in the USMCA in order to protect workers throughout North America. Whether it be through capacity building support or monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, we need to make clear that the United States is committed to supporting Mexico's labor reform process.
Thank you for your continued efforts to support an improved framework for trade between the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Sincerely,
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