Press Releases

WASHINGTON—Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas) released the following statement on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement announced today by President Donald Trump:

“Canada’s inclusion in the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement is great news for Kansas farmers and manufacturers in the Fourth District and around the country. Canada is Kansas’ top export market worth $2.5 billion, underscoring the critical impact of today’s announcement,” said Rep. Estes. “Since entering Congress, I have called for free and fair trade and modernizing NAFTA. Trade with our North American partners has been beneficial to Kansas’ Fourth District, especially our farmers, ranchers and aerospace manufacturers. However, the more than 20-year-old agreement was outdated. President Trump has delivered on another promise and I look forward to reviewing the agreement with my colleagues in Congress.”

Global trade has a significant impact on Kansas and the Fourth District. In total, trade supports more than 400,000 jobs in Kansas, 108,000 of which are due to exports worth more than $17 billion. Total exports from south central Kansas are worth $7.1 billion and support 40,000 jobs. The Wichita area exported $3.1 billion of goods around the world in 2016. In addition to being Kansas’ top export market, Canadian-owned companies employee 6,000 workers in Kansas. Trade tensions with Canada have threatened exports from Kansas worth $89 million.

Ron Estes is a 5th generation Kansan and represents Kansas’ 4th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He serves on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and the House Committee on Homeland Security.