<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-color: white;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(136, 136, 136); text-transform: uppercase;" class="">INSIDE US TRADE<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><h1 style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 24pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; background-color: white; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" class=""><span style="font-size: 22pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Chamber set to launch business coalition backing USMCA's passage<o:p class=""></o:p></span></h1><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-color: white;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(136, 136, 136);" class="">January 07, 2019 at 7:29 AM<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class="">A coalition of business groups focused on getting the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement through Congress is slated to be launched in the coming weeks, </span><em class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">Inside U.S. Trade</span></em><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class=""> has learned.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class="">More than 30 business associations are “involved so far,” according to a source familiar with the effort. The coalition, led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will focus on facilitating the USMCA’s passage on Capitol Hill.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class="">Similar coalitions were formed by the Chamber for past trade agreements, including U.S. deals with Korea, Panama, Colombia.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class="">The coalition held an initial meeting in mid-December, the source added.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class="">USMCA's passage is <a href="https://insidetrade.com/node/165409" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">the Chamber’s top trade priority for 2019</span></a>, according to Myron Brilliant, the Chamber's executive vice president and head of international affairs. And while outstanding issues – such as steel and aluminum tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports – remain a concern, Brilliant said it was imperative that USMCA advance.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class="">Analysts recently flagged the partial government shutdown, which could delay a critical USMCA analysis from the U.S. International Trade Commission, and the election of Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as House speaker as potential roadblocks that could <a href="https://insidetrade.com/node/165467" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">slow USMCA's progress</span></a>.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class="">“There are issues to address, there are impediments, there are some challenges, but at the end of the day it’s important to get USMCA passed through the Congress,” he told </span><em class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">Inside U.S. Trade</span></em><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class=""> last month. “We need to move forward.”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class="">Citing benefits associated with the new deal, such as stronger IP, financial services and digital trade provisions, Brilliant said he hoped the Section 232 tariffs could be resolved before Congress considered the deal.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class="">Brilliant said the odds of a USMCA vote before the Section 232 tariffs are addressed were low, calling a resolution “important in order to garner support in both the House and Senate and [among] Democrats and Republicans alike.”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class="">At the signing of the deal in Buenos Aires on Nov. 30, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer called the Section 232 tariffs “<a href="https://insidetrade.com/node/165158" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">something we are turning out attention to</span></a>.”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class="">The status of the Section 232 tariffs remains unknown. Lighthizer and Mexican Economy Minister Graciela Marquez <a href="https://af.reuters.com/article/africaTech/idAFN9N1UR00B" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">discussed the measures</span></a> during a Dec. 20 call, according to Reuters. Mexico and Canada continue to strenuously object to the tariffs. –</span><em class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class=""> Isabelle Hoagland</span></em><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" class=""> (<a href="mailto:ihoagland@iwpnews.com" style="color: purple;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204); border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;" class="">ihoagland@iwpnews.com</span></a>)<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div></body></html>