The U.S. House of Representatives approved implementing legislation for the renegotiated NAFTA trade deal Thursday.
The measure passed with an overwhelming vote of 385 to 41. Each of Arizona’s nine representatives voted for the measure, according to a vote breakdown on the House’s website.
“We’re very pleased that the lower house has approved it,” said Gerardo Vazquez, head of a group representing Sonoran export manufacturers.
The new deal will require changes to meet vehicle input and labor rules, he said. But with the right leadership, the state’s manufacturers and other businesses will be able to benefit.
Mexico is Arizona’s largest trading partner, and billions of dollars worth of imports and exports cross through its ports with Sonora every year.
