Canada

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said she held a “constructive” meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Thursday to discuss the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which she made clear was far from certain to win Democrats' approval.

Congress, he said, “will have a choice of the USMCA or pre-NAFTA, which worked very well.”

Even as U.S. industry groups applauded the signing of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on Friday, they made clear their continued frustration that Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum imports remained.

BUENOS AIRES – U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Friday said the U.S., Mexico and Canada would focus on a resolution to U.S. Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum now that the three countries have signed their new trade deal, adding that an agreement on the tariffs was never going to be part of NAFTA renegotiation talks.

BUENOS AIRES – The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement was signed on Friday without a resolution on U.S. Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs despite last-minute negotiations, sources tell Inside U.S. Trade.

Representatives from a swath of industry sectors are coalescing on Capitol Hill this week to make a final push for a resolution to Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico, with many executives calling on Congress to play a more active role.

Seade: “The tide of support from industry and consumer groups and governors has gone so high that even the Democrats that dislike this kind of instrument will probably think twice before ditching it.”

After speaking with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Thursday, Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) said the two were on the same page on changes that must be made for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to receive support from Democrats.