WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sought to demonstrate a united front Thursday in the uphill effort to get a replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement over the finish line.
At Trump’s insistence, the U.S., Canada and Mexico agreed to an update of the 25-year-old agreement. But the agreement faces opposition from many House Democratic lawmakers and labor unions.
“I hope politically they can do what they have to do,” Trump said of Democratic lawmakers. “Now, the day after the election it would win with tremendous support, but we have an election coming up.”
In the end, it comes down to whether House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will bring to a vote a bill that would implement changes necessary to enact the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. She insists that changes are needed to generate Democratic support, and has appointed a working group to meet with United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on finding ways to ease Democratic lawmakers’ concerns.
“My hope is that over the course of the next couple of weeks we can make substantial progress,” Lighthizer told a Senate panel Tuesday.
“I think Nancy Pelosi is going to do the right thing,” Trump predicted as he met with Trudeau in the Oval Office.
He went on to describe the deal as “great for the farmers, manufacturers. It’s really great for everybody.”
Trudeau told reporters he had a “frank conversation about the path forward” Thursday with Pelosi but said he would not get involved in the U.S. ratification process.
However, Trudeau rejected the idea of reopening the deal in order to make changes.
“We are concerned that any reopening of (the trade pact) could lead to not just lengthy, further negotiations, but also may lead to worse outcomes for Canadians and for Canada,” he said during a press conference held at the Canadian embassy Thursday afternoon.