Trump eyes Mexico for speedy NAFTA deal
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Thursday said the Trump administration is turning all of its attention to Mexico to quickly renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
President Trump, in a letter replying to Mexico’s president-elect on Tuesday, called for a speedy deal that would lead to more jobs on both sides of the border. Trump has viewed the free trade pact as a deal that benefits Mexico more than the U.S.
Ross said the administration expects to get something worked out in the next few months.
“The new president [of Mexico] very quickly appointed the team that will do the trade negotiations for him, has made very clear he wants to get a deal done and he did all this without even waiting for his inauguration,” Ross told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on “Mornings with Maria.” “He will be inaugurated on the first of December and it looks pretty clear that his goal would be to try to get something resolved between the United States and Mexico prior to even his inauguration.”
Mexican and Canadian officials on Wednesday insisted that NAFTA should remain a trilateral agreement, even though Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on auto imports. But Ross said the administration is taking a bilateral approach.
“The immediate focus is much more on Mexico,” he said. “The issues there are more complex and we think we can get very good progress very quickly.”