EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence continued his promotional tour for the new North American trade agreement by telling workers at a western Wisconsin factory that U.S. manufacturing will blossom with a new deal.

The Wausau Daily Herald reports that Pence spoke Thursday at a family-owned business in Eau Claire that creates ventilation systems for agriculture. He told about 100 people gathered at J&D Manufacturing that the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, would “level the playing field” and Congress should pass it this year.

Kurt Bauer, president of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, said he thinks the USMCA will improve the state’s manufacturing economy and help mitigate the harm done by tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

Pence planned to visit with U.S. Army soldiers and their families Fort McCoy later Thursday.