Originally Appeared: The Texas Tribune on September 16, 2019
From agriculture to manufacturing, Texas’ economic success depends on trade with international partners. Mexico and Canada are the state’s largest international trade partners, and the digital trade provisions in USMCA will help give the Texas economy a strong boost as we venture further into the 21st century.
Texas is the number one state in America for exports and its success in the international economy isn’t confined to just one city or part of the state. Three of the top 10 U.S. metropolitan areas for exports are in Texas, with Houston, Dallas and El Paso all making the list.
The proposed United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) incorporates strong digital provisions that will enhance every sector of the Texas economy. These provisions would break down barriers to trade for businesses of all sizes and set important global precedents for agreements in the future.
Texas already benefits from digital trade, boasting $52 billion in global exports and 184,900 jobs supported by digital services exports. Those jobs and exports go well beyond what we traditionally think of as “internet” jobs, as everything from oil and natural gas pipelines to tractors get connected to the internet.
