USMCA should be a top priority in Congress

As a manufacturer in Iowa, I'm writing to urge U.S. Reps. Abby Finkenauer and Dave Loebsack to pass the new trade deal with Canada and Mexico, the USMCA, and push for a vote on the agreement.

The USMCA is vital for manufacturers and businesses in Iowa. More than 25,000 manufacturing jobs in Iowa depend on trade with Canada and Mexico, and one in four Iowa manufacturers export to those markets

Iowans sold $6.6 billion in goods and services to Canada and Mexico in 2017. The USMCA would level the playing field for our state's businesses and farmers, expand Iowa's access to those markets and create more jobs here at home.

That is why Iowans are counting on Finkenauer and Congressman Loebsack to support the USMCA.

Eric Van Kerckhove

Cedar Rapids