releases: https://hurd.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/congressman-hispanic-chamber-team-defend-nafta
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://hurd.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/congressman-hispanic-chamber-team-defend-nafta | Congressman, Hispanic Chamber team up to defend NAFTA | 2016-12-15 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | TX | Will Hurd | H001073 | hurd.house.gov | legacy | Donald Trump's presidential campaign promise to either renegotiate or scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement caught the attention of San Antonio business leaders. And with Trump set to take office in January, political and business leaders are scrambling and organizing to save NAFTA, which they say has benefited San Antonio. During a Wednesday afternoon roundtable discussion at the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Congressman Will Hurd, R-Helotes, met with local business leaders to discuss the trilateral trade deal between the United States, Canada and Mexico. Hurd said South Texas business leaders are concerned about NAFTA's future but believe that Trump's plan to renegotiate the trade deal is an opportunity, particularly when it comes to the digital economy, cybersecurity, shale oil and gas, and renewables, which did not exist when it was originally signed in San Antonio back in 1992. "This is an opportunity," Hurd said. "San Antonio should be leading when we talk about taking advantage of this opportunity. NAFTA was signed here. San Antonio is an important cog between the three countries, and we should leading the way on how to make it stronger." Many of the business leaders in the room were working in San Antonio when NAFTA was originally negotiated, signed into law and went into effect. Hurd said parts of the discussion centered on what the trade deal was supposed to deliver to San Antonio and what has not been achieved. "This was supposed to be a step in improving the competitiveness of North America, and we can do more there," Hurd said. Calling the meeting the first of many, San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce CEO Ramiro Cavazos said Hurd reached out to the Chamber to meet with local business leaders about NAFTA. Cavazos said the Chamber and several other local organizations are participating in the "SA to DC" lobbying trip in February, during which NAFTA will be a top priority. "We'll have more than 100 people to fight for the thing we want," Cavazos said in Spanish. "We'll have the congressman there to help direct us to the key people in the administration who we need to sit down with because when this trade deal opens again, we need to be very clear about what we need." IBC Bank CEO Dennis Nixon was among the pro-NAFTA business leaders who participated in the roundtable discussion. With more than 40 years experience along the border, Nixon said he has seen the benefits of trade with Mexico firsthand. "They're our primary trading partner and our next-door neighbor, so we're very interested in protecting those relationships," Nixon told the Business Journal. "Anything we can do to bring clarity, reality and facts to the argument, we're prepared to do it." | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |