BUENOS AIRES—The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, successor to the North American Free Trade Agreement, is a reality.
President Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and outgoing Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto signed the trade pact in a Nov. 30 ceremony in Buenos Aires, at the beginning of the G20 Summit.
Canada and the U.S. reached accord on the USMCA late on Sept. 30, hours before a self-imposed deadline. The U.S. previously had reached agreement with Mexico on a successor to NAFTA, which Trump had criticized as outdated and harmful to American interests.
"With the signing of this agreement, President Trump has delivered on his promise to renegotiate NAFTA and protect American farmers, ranchers, businesses and workers," the White House said in a statement.
The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association expressed pleasure with the signing of the USMCA.
"We praise this positive step, which reconfirms the importance of free and fair trade among the three countries," the USTMA said in a statement. "We look forward to the next steps in this process."
The United Steelworkers union, which also organizes tire workers, said the signing of the USMCA was "an important milestone," but only a first step in the effort to reform NAFTA.
"NAFTA and implementing legislation must reverse the corporate incentives to outsource productions and instead promote investment in plants, equipment and people domestically," the USW said.
The announcement by General Motors Co. that it would close five U.S. plants and lay off 15,000 workers "is clear evidence that corporations are only interested in profits," the union said.
Congress, the Canadian Parliament and the Mexican Congress of the Union will consider the USMCA next year.