Every day, New Hampshire businesses demonstrate that our state’s economy is stronger when we compete beyond our borders. Whether it’s a manufacturer shipping precision components to Québec, a software company serving customers across North America, or a family-owned business sourcing materials from Canada, international trade isn’t an abstract concept, it’s part of doing business in New Hampshire.

That’s why the Business and Industry Association (BIA) believes the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) remains one of the most important economic agreements for our state’s economy. As policymakers in DC begin the agreement’s required joint review, it’s important we remember the value the USMCA has provided to the business community. It’s provided the stable and predictable North American trading environment that businesses need in order to invest, grow, and create jobs.

Canada has long been New Hampshire’s largest international trading partner. Our manufacturers depend on Canadian customers and suppliers. Businesses in the North Country and throughout the state rely on cross-border commerce. Our technology, financial services, tourism, and forest products sectors all benefit from strong economic ties with our northern neighbor. Even companies that never export directly often purchase materials or components that move through North American supply chains.

Business leaders don’t make investment decisions one quarter at a time. Their business relationships depend on certainty. They purchase equipment, expand facilities, hire employees, and develop new products based on expectations about the years ahead. They need confidence that the rules governing trade will remain stable and predictable. The USMCA provides that stability.

When it replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the USMCA recognized that the economy had changed drastically from when NAFTA was penned. Digital commerce barely existed when NAFTA was negotiated, and today’s integrated supply chains demanded modern rules for a modern economy. The USMCA accomplished that goal. Like any negotiated agreement, it reflected compromise. No one received everything they wanted. But the result was a bipartisan agreement that modernized North American trade while preserving the economic integration that businesses across all three countries rely upon every day.

The result was that our position relative to Canada strengthened. The U.S. Department of Commerce consistently ranks Canada as the number one or number two export market for New England businesses. In 2025 alone, New England exported nearly $8.8 billion in goods to Canada, while service exports totaled approximately $6.25 billion. Hundreds of thousands of jobs across our region depend, at least in part, on trade and investment with our North American partners. For New Hampshire, those numbers translate into thousands of good-paying jobs in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, medical technology, defense, financial services, and countless small businesses that form the backbone of our economy. In 2025, New Hampshire exported more than $1 billion in goods to Canada and imported more than $2 billion in goods.

The agreement has become even more important as businesses rethink global supply chains. The disruptions of recent years demonstrated the risks of relying too heavily on suppliers located thousands of miles and continents away. Building stronger North American supply chains offers businesses greater resilience and provide new opportunities for businesses in New Hampshire while continuing to allow companies to compete globally.

Businesses are far more likely to invest when they know the rules won’t change unexpectedly. Predictability encourages expansion, innovation, and job creation. Whether you’re a global manufacturer with facilities in multiple countries or a small family business shipping products across the border, certainty matters. As policymakers consider the future of the USMCA, they should certainly look for opportunities to improve it. Agreements should evolve and modernize alongside our economy, but we should build upon what works rather than abandon it. BIA ally organization at the federal level, like the US Chamber and National Association of Manufacturers, along with hundreds of other federal and state business and trade organizations, agree and are working hard to support a thoughtful and productive USMCA review process.

The BIA’s members understand that our economy is strongest when businesses have the confidence to invest, hire, and compete. The USMCA is a foundational ingredient for that confidence. It strengthens the entire North American region, supports our shared prosperity, and helps ensure that New Hampshire businesses remain competitive in an increasingly challenging global marketplace.

Michael Skelton is president and CEO of the Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire. Visit BIAofNH.com.