00                      SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 25                                                                    
01 Supporting continuation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.                                                   
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
03 WHEREAS the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement was negotiated during the                                           
04 first administration of President Donald J. Trump as a modernization of the North American                              
05 Free Trade Agreement, and was later approved by the United States Congress with bipartisan                              
06 support, reflecting a continued national commitment to stable and cooperative North                                     
07 American trade; and                                                                                                     
08       WHEREAS the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement has been mutually                                             
09 beneficial for all parties since the agreement entered into force on July 1, 2020; and                                  
10       WHEREAS the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement has provided a stable and                                     
11 predictable framework for trade and investment that allows state residents to plan with                                 
12 confidence; and                                                                                                         
13       WHEREAS the state has specifically benefited from increased trade with Canada                                   
14 facilitated by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement; and                                                           
15       WHEREAS, in 2024, imports to the state from Canada exceeded $1,000,000,000; and                                 
16       WHEREAS imports to the state from Canada include essential resources and                                        

01 components, including $351,000,000 in petroleum products, $62,000,000 in metals, and                                    
02 $61,000,000 in machinery; and                                                                                           
03       WHEREAS, in 2024, exports from the state to Canada exceeded $614,000,000; and                                   
04       WHEREAS close integration between the United States and Canada has created more                                 
05 efficient supply chains and has enhanced the competitiveness of United States industries in                             
06 the global market; and                                                                                                  
07       WHEREAS the state's small businesses benefit from free access to Canadian markets                               
08 and predictable trade relationships maintained by the United States-Mexico-Canada                                       
09 Agreement; and                                                                                                          
10 WHEREAS Canada supports 20,300 employees in the state, and Canadian-owned                                             
11 businesses provide an additional 5,950 jobs for state residents; and                                                    
12 WHEREAS 25 percent tariffs were imposed on imports of Canadian steel in March of                                      
13 2018; and                                                                                                               
14 WHEREAS, by May of 2019, importation of Canadian steel to the state dropped by                                        
15 37.8 percent, representing the lowest level of steel imports in nearly a decade; and                                    
16 WHEREAS the state's unique geographical location makes efficient cross-border                                         
17 trade with Canada essential for accessing supplies that are crucial to the state's businesses and                       
18 communities; and                                                                                                        
19 WHEREAS United States tariffs were met with retaliatory tariffs that harmed                                           
20 producers, businesses, and consumers in both the state and Canada; and                                                  
21 WHEREAS the significant costs incurred by the tariffs are passed on to consumers in                                   
22 the state; and                                                                                                          
23 WHEREAS Canada and Mexico have committed to ending retaliatory tariffs after                                          
24 United States tariffs have been lifted; and                                                                             
25 WHEREAS barriers to trade with the United States may incentivize Canada to pursue                                     
26 alternative trade relationships that will become more difficult to unwind over time; and                                
27 WHEREAS Canada is a close national defense partner, and prolonging tariff-related                                     
28 tensions risks weakening this critical defense partnership; and                                                         
29 WHEREAS positive relationships with Canada facilitate the state's multi-billion-                                      
30 dollar tourism industry; and                                                                                            
31 WHEREAS the 2026 joint review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement                                            

01 represents an opportunity to extend and improve the agreement, while removing tariffs and                               
02 barriers to profitable trade and positive relationships between the state and Canada;                                   
03       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature reaffirms its support for                                      
04 extending the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement; and be it                                                          
05       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports the federal                                         
06 administration's efforts to modernize and improve the United States-Mexico-Canada                                       
07 Agreement; and be it                                                                                                    
08       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the federal                                            
09 administration to end disruptive tariffs on Canada and Mexico.                                                          
10 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President                                   
11 of the United States; the Right Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada; the                                   
12 Honorable JD Vance, Vice President of the United States and President of the U.S. Senate;                               
13 the Honorable Mike Johnson, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; and the                                       
14 Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the                                         
15 Honorable Nicholas Begich, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in                                     
16 Congress.