DES MOINES, IOWA (September 16, 2019) — As part of the ongoing efforts to urge Congress to pass the US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA), members of the Iowa Business Council (IBC) sent a letter to Iowa's Congressional Delegation detailing the importance of passing the agreement before the end of the year.  "It's vital our representatives know the real impacts of the positive trade relationship Iowa has with Mexico and Canada and that our members stand behind the agreement," Georgia Van Gundy, executive director of the Iowa Business Council stated. "After meeting personally with our elected officials and sending this message, we hope these leaders understand the importance the passage of this agreement has on business and the economy of Iowa."  The Iowa Business Council is comprised of the chief decision makers of some of Iowa's largest companies. Together, they represent industries from not only agriculture and manufacturing but health care, IT, banking, retail, transportation, publishing, energy, financial services, and construction. Members' support shows the breadth of industries the USMCA can touch and the broad consensus for the agreement's core tenets.  Among the main reasons for passage, Iowa Business Council members cited the importance of providing certainty to American farmers, the implementation of modernized oversight mechanisms, the estimated increase in real GDP by $68.2 billion, an estimated creation of 176,000 new jobs in the United States, and a potential $2.2 billion-dollar boost to American agricultural and food exports. In addition to advocating for the passage of the USMCA during an in-person meeting with the delegation on September 4, the Iowa Business Council partnered with the Iowa Economic Development Authority earlier this year to call on elected officials to swiftly ratify the agreement. Additional communications from IBC members will be taking place throughout the fall. 

 

About the Iowa Business Council The Iowa Business Council (IBC) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization whose 23 members are the chief decision makers of major Iowa employers. One in six jobs in Iowa are tied to an IBC company. IBC member companies have invested billions of dollars of capital in Iowa's commercial infrastructure; lead the way in technology innovation, R&D, and grants procured; and are often the driving financial and volunteer forces behind philanthropic efforts all over the state.   IBC member companies include: Alliant Energy; Casey’s General Stores Inc; Collins Aerospace; Corteva Agriscience; Deere and Company; Fareway; FBL Financial Group Inc; HNI Corporation; Hy-Vee Inc; Iowa Bankers Association; Kent Corporation; MercyOne; Meredith Corporation; MidAmerican Energy Company; Pella Corporation; Principal; Ruan Transportation Management Systems; The Weitz Company; UnityPoint Health; The University of Iowa Health Care; Vermeer Corporation; Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa; and Wells Enterprises Inc.

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