Senate Engrossed

State of Arizona Senate Fifty-third Legislature Second Regular Session 2018

SENATE CONCURRENT MEMORIAL 1016

 

A CONCURRENT memorial

 

urging the president and congress of the united states to swiftly renegotiate and ratify the north american free trade agreement to maintain the global competitiveness of arizona's businesses and citizens.

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

To the President and Congress of the United States:

Your memorialist respectfully represents:

Whereas, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) created the largest single free trade area in the world and has produced significant economic benefits to the State of Arizona; and

Whereas, one in five Arizona jobs are linked to trade in goods and countless others are linked to trade in services and international tourism; and

Whereas, in 2014, over 236,000 Arizona jobs relied on trade and investment with our two largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico; and

Whereas, NAFTA has facilitated the growth of significant new cross‑border manufacturing and supply chains in industries such as aerospace, agriculture, electronics and automotive; and

Whereas, NAFTA has facilitated the expansion of Arizona businesses into the Mexican market; and

Whereas, the NAFTA-member countries of Canada and Mexico are Arizona's largest foreign direct-investment and trading partners; and

Whereas, in 2016, Arizona had $15.7 billion in combined trade, nearly 38% of the state's total trade, with Mexico and maintained a trade surplus of $830 million; and

Whereas, in 2016, Arizona had $3.5 billion in combined trade with Canada and maintained a trade surplus of $810 million; and

Whereas, tourism with our NAFTA partners is a significant driving force of Arizona's economic success; and

Whereas, 3.8 million annual Mexican visitors are responsible for $7.3 million per day, or 66% of all Arizona visitor expenditures, and the annual economic impact to Arizona from Mexican and Canadian visitors is $5 billion; and

Whereas, NAFTA may usefully be updated to include new opportunities for Arizona companies; and

Whereas, withdrawing the United States from NAFTA would negatively impact Arizona's exporting and importing companies, the vast majority of which are small businesses, as well as the entire Arizona tourism industry; and

Whereas, withdrawing the United States would further discourage foreign investment in this state and the resulting job creation, would result in significant job losses across all sectors, with aerospace, tech, and agribusiness likely the hardest hit, and would be potentially devastating to the economic vitality of this state.

Wherefore your memorialist, the Senate of the State of Arizona, the House of Representatives concurring, prays:

1.  That the President of the United States constructively and swiftly negotiate modifications to NAFTA to strengthen and modernize the agreement, maintain the trilateral nature of the agreement as it currently exists between Canada, Mexico and the United States and conclude the negotiations by the date agreed.

2.  That the Congress of the United States swiftly ratify and certify the new terms of NAFTA to reduce business uncertainty and maintain the global competitiveness of Arizona's businesses and citizens.

3.  That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit copies of this Memorial to the President of the United States, the United States Trade Representative, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and each Member of Congress from the State of Arizona.