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The Trump Administration now expects notable progress in discussions with Mexico to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
"The new President of Mexico (Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador) has changed his rhetoric considerably", said US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross Thursday in an interview with CNBC, adding that he expected "substantial progress" in the coming year.
"He likes the idea of redoing the Alena ", added Wilbur Ross. "He has a very good team (…) to lead the negotiations."
The negotiations to modernize the Alena, uniting the United States to Mexico and Canada, began in August 2017, at the US President Donald Trump's claim that the agreement is responsible for the disappearance of thousands of jobs, particularly in the automotive sector.
While the three countries agreed that this agreement, which came into force in 1994, needed to be modernized, the dealings have stumbled on the requirements of the Trump administration. The latter wants to impose a "sunset clause", which every five years, would allow the parties to terminate the agreement.
The White House also intends to significantly increase the share of US components in the automotive sector.
After seven rounds of talks, bargaining stopped in mid-June, as Mexican elections on July 1 came to power, bringing the leftist candidate, Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador, to power. [19659003] Wilbur Ross's statement comes as Donald Trump threatens to impose additional customs duties of about 20% on cars.
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland will visit Mexico next Wednesday to discuss the Alena with the elected Mexican president, said her spokesperson Thursday.
During this working visit, she will also meet with the outgoing Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, along with his counterpart Luis Videgary, as well as with the Minister of the Economy Ildefonso Guajardo, said the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Chrystia Freeland will be accompanied by the Minister of Finance Bill Morneau, and new Minister of International Trade Diversification, Jim Carr, according to a statement from the Mexican Ministry
In early July, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke in a conversation with Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador the common desire of both countries "to update the North American Free Trade Agreement".
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