Shaheen, Hassan Support US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Both of New Hampshire's senators support the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement, saying it will help businesses in the state.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said in a statement Thursday that the trade deal "makes improvements to NAFTA that will help empower Granite State businesses, while protecting American workers and safeguarding our environment."
Sen. Maggie Hassan voted Tuesday to support the agreement during a Senate Finance Committee markup. The committee has jurisdiction over trade policy. The bill now goes to the full Senate.
She said an important provision for a small business state like New Hampshire is that the agreement cuts red tape for small exporters by allowing electronic filing of customs forms. She said the deal also cuts costs for small businesses by increasing the share of shipments to Canada and Mexico with duty-free status. It also removes long-standing trade barriers that have prevented dairy farmers from accessing the Canadian market.
The House passed the rewrite of the 25-year-old free trade agreement in December.
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