Canada

After discussing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Monday evening, key House Democrats said they expected an announcement of an adjusted deal to be made on Tuesday, when top officials from the three countries are slated to meet in Mexico.

President Trump on Monday said he was “hearing from unions” that end-stage U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement discussions were turning a corner, lauding what he called an abundance of “strides over the last 24 hours” amid reports that U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer was planning to travel to Mexico on Tuesday.

After consulting the Mexican Senate on proposed changes to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on Sunday that his government would consider accepting a late-stage U.S. steel demand if it is implemented more than five years after the pact enters into force.

A new wrench has been thrown into U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement negotiations between Mexican Under Secretary for North America Jesús Seade and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, a key lawmaker told reporters on Thursday.

“As it is, the window of opportunity for 2019 is extremely tight.”

President Trump on Monday said the speaker “should put it up for a vote because, at some point pretty soon, you're going to have Canada and you're going have Mexico say, 'What's going on? Send the agreement back. Let's not make the deal.'”

Key House Democrats negotiating outstanding U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement concerns with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative are waiting for administration officials to put their agreements in writing before moving forward, they said on Thursday.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is pushing auto companies to commit that all of their output -- even autos manufactured and sold within the U.S. -- will meet U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement regional value requirements, tying the demand to requests for longer transition periods for complying with USMCA auto rules of origin, sources tell Inside U.S. Trade.

Any agreement on a U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement implementing bill hammered out by House Democrats and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will have to be reviewed and approved by Mexico and Canada, Mexican Under Secretary for North America Jesús Seade said on Thursday, suggesting the process could delay ratification.