By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Editor

Both U.S. senators from Texas have signed a letter to newly-appointed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer sharing the benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The letter, which was sent Monday, is signed by 19 Republican senators, including John Cornyn and Ted Cruz of Texas.

It congratulates Lighthizer on his confirmation and recognizes the administration wants a fresh look at NAFTA.

“Among other benefits, NAFTA has led to tremendous growth in U.S. trade with Mexico and Canada, integrated cross-border supply chains that benefit U.S. employers and more than tripled U.S. exports of goods (including agricultural and manufactured goods) and services,” the letter reads.

NAFTA is a trade agreement that eliminates most tariffs on traded products between Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. It was negotiated in 1991 and went into effect in 1993.

The senators acknowledge its age and that there are areas in which NAFTA will benefit from strengthening and modernization.

“On the other hand, efforts to abandon the agreement or impose unnecessary restrictions on trade with our North American partners will have devastating economic consequences,” the letter reads.

The senators listed on the letter represent states that see significant economic impact from trade.

“We will maintain a keen interest in the on-going process surrounding NAFTA and look forward to working with your office,” the letter reads.

After taking office, President Donald Trump expressed his desire to do away with NAFTA and his preference for bilateral trade deals.

On April 26, following a pair of “pleasant and productive” phone calls with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump agreed not to terminate NAFTA at this time.

“The leaders agreed to proceed swiftly, according to their required internal procedures, to enable the renegotiation of the NAFTA deal to the benefit of all three countries,” a White House statement said.

Although conversations about NAFTA have already begun, official talks could not take place until after Lighthizer was confirmed by the Senate.

Now that Lighthizer is in office, the administration can send a notice to Congress of their intent to renegotiate the decades-old trade agreement. A list of renegotiation topics and objectives must also be sent with the 90-day notice.

As of May 16, the notice had not been sent.