Vice President Mike Pence recently toured JLS Automation, where he called for executives to support the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which proposes to support fair trade deals and promote more opportunities for manufacturers.

Also in attendance were Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers; David Taylor, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association; Congressman Scott Perry; Congressman Dan Mosier; Congressman Lloyd Smucker; and U.S. Labor Secretary Alex Acosta.

According to Pence, innovative robotic suppliers like JLS are set to benefit from such a trade deal between the three countries, which he says would keep the U.S. economy growing. “We need to forge trade deals that will put America first,” Pence said. “The time has come for Congress to pass the largest trade deal in American history. The time has come for Congress to pass the USMCA.”

Craig Souser, JLS President and CEO said he supports the deal since a significant part of the company’s success comes from the Canadian food market. However, he believes trade agreement changes are needed. “We believe we have only scratched the surface in Canada with our equipment offerings,” Souser said. “We need Congress to level the playing field, we will take care of the rest.”

USMCA was signed by leaders in November 2018, and all three countries have yet to ratify the agreement.