Agreement Now Ready for Implementation
(Washington DC) – The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) commends Canada on the achievement of royal assent of the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) from Governor General Julie Payette, following a decisive victory in the Canadian Senate this morning. This follows the ratification by Mexico in 2019 and by the United States in January, and makes the agreement officially final.
“The USMCA is a win for the North American recycling industry,” says ReMA President Robin Wiener. “The market and policy certainty that comes with the agreement will support the 130,000 U.S. jobs that depend on strong regional trade for scrap commodities and the industries that depend on these critical materials. We look forward to a swift implementation process in order to gain immediately from the agreement.”
ISRI has been an advocate for the industry throughout the negotiations because it will support the already robust North American scrap trade. More than 160,000 U.S. recycling industry jobs dependent on trade and more than $7.7 billion of U.S. scrap imports and exports are bolstered by key components of the agreement, including:
- Maintained tariff-free access in Mexico (U.S. and Canada are already tariff-free);
- Improved and accelerated customs clearances;
- Indirect recognition of the ReMA Specifications as industry standards; and
- Increased demand for scrap through enhanced auto rules of origin requirements.
ISRI has worked assiduously with the Administration, members of Congress, and industry partners to advocate for this agreement. In partnership with the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries (CARI) and Mexico's National Institute of Recyclers (INARE), ReMA developed a platform of issues that we three advocated with our respective governments during the early stages of the negotiation. The final agreement reflects our joint efforts.
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The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI) is the "Voice of the Recycling Industry™." ReMA represents 1,300 companies in 20 chapters in the U.S. and more than 40 countries that process, broker, and consume scrap commodities, including metals, paper, plastics, glass, rubber, electronics, and textiles. With headquarters in Washington, DC, the Institute provides education, advocacy, safety and compliance training, and promotes public awareness of the vital role recycling plays in the U.S. economy, global trade, the environment and sustainable development. Generating nearly $110 billion annually in U.S. economic activity, the scrap recycling industry provides more than 500,000 Americans with good jobs.