US House passes USMCA trade deal

Trade pact now moves to Senate floor, is due to be approved in 2020

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - The U.S. House of Representatives passed a new North American trade deal Thursday.

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, cleared the House with bipartisan support in an overwhelming 385-41 vote.

Thirty-eight Democrats, two Republicans and independent Rep. Justin Amash voted against the deal.

The USMCA was proposed over a year ago as a replacement to the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, which eliminated trade barriers between the three countries.

President Donald Trump said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attempted to take credit for the new deal, maintaining that the deal is "great".

"The great USMCA Trade Deal (Mexico & Canada) has been sitting on Nancy Pelosi’s desk for 8 months, she doesn’t even know what it says, & today, after passing by a wide margin in the House, Pelosi tried to take credit for it. Labor will vote for Trump. Trade deal is great for USA!" he wrote on Twitter.

The trade deal now moves to the Senate floor and is due to be approved in 2020.

The deal was finalized on Dec. 10 after representatives of the three countries signed it in Mexico.

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