WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the administration continues renegotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, today met with Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to emphasize the trade agreement’s value to Nebraska:

“Secretary Ross was very forthcoming today about where these trade negotiations currently stand. He shared examples of the priorities the administration is focused on as they develop NAFTA 2.0. I was able to highlight Nebraska’s perspective when it comes to trade and the great value of this agreement to our state’s producers, manufacturers, and exporters,” said Senator Fischer.

Yesterday, Senator Fischer attended a meeting at the White House with President Trump focused on U.S. trade policy. She highlighted the significance of NAFTA to agriculture exports and related manufacturing jobs in Nebraska.

NAFTA represents a critical market for Nebraska’s exports. Mexico and Canada are Nebraska’s two largest customers for agricultural goods. In 2016, exports of Nebraska agricultural goods to these two countries exceeded $2.9 billion and accounted for 45 percent of Nebraska’s total agricultural exports that year. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 91,400 Nebraska jobs are supported by NAFTA.