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By Rick Boucher and Tom Davis

Trade with Canada and Mexico plays a crucial role in Virginia’s success story. Since it was signed, NAFTA has allowed regional trade to triple and U.S. manufacturing output to increase by more than one-third. Now Congress should build on that success, secure our future prosperity and get the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) done.

The U.S. International Trade Commission projects that passing the USMCA will create 176,000 new jobs and add $68 billion annually to the national economy, and the agreement sets new standards that will provide a level playing field for businesses in the U.S. From enhanced digital rules to upgraded environmental and labor standards, the USMCA represents a strong achievement worthy of full-throated, bipartisan support.

With the USMCA in place, farmers in Virginia and across the country would be among the greatest beneficiaries. The agreement will open new Canadian markets to dairy, poultry and eggs, eliminate discriminatory food standards and boost U.S. agricultural exports by more than $2 billion per year. In Virginia, where agriculture is the largest private industry and the backbone of our rural communities, the USMCA will help preserve this heritage and the nearly 450,000 jobs it supports.