South Texas lawmakers react to NAFTA announcement
MISSION, RGV – U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has notified congressional leaders that President Trump intends to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Lighthizer said he was triggering a 90-day consultation period with Congress, industries and the American public that would allow talks over one of the world’s biggest trading blocs to begin by Aug. 16.
NAFTA is 23-year-old trade agreement signed by the United States, Mexico and Canada. During the presidential election campaign last year, Donald Trump said NAFTA was a “disaster” and the worst trade deal the U.S. ever entered into. He said he wanted to shrink the deficits the U.S. has with its NAFTA partners. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. deficit with Mexico stood at $63 billion last year. With Canada it stood at $11 billion.
Lighthizer said Trump supports higher-paying jobs and wants to grow the U.S. economy by improving trading opportunities with Canada and Mexico.
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