A 'catastrophe' if US Congress fails to ratify USMCA: trade rep

Washington's chief trade envoy on Wednesday urged US lawmakers to adopt the trade agreement negotiated last year with Canada and Mexico.

In congressional testimony, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said American credibility was at stake in efforts to get lawmakers to ratify the US-Mexico-Canada agreement.

Signed in November, the tri-nation agreement would replace and modernize the former North American Free Trade Agreement.

It changes rules of origin for the auto sector, requires higher wages for some auto manufacturers and expands US access to the Canadian dairy market, among other shifts.

"If USMCA doesn't pass, I've said this before, it would be a catastrophe across the country," Lighthizer said during testimony before the House Committee on Ways and Means, which produces tax legislation.

Amid the White House's fractious relations with lawmakers and the approach of next year's elections, USMCA's passage through Congress is uncertain, worrying industry representatives in recent months.

Lawmakers in Mexico and Canada likewise must ratify the new deal for it to take effect.

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