New NAFTA deal is in sight, says USTR Lighthizer

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Thursday that the U.S. was close to reaching a broad agreement on how to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, but provided no indication of when the deal would be finalized or what changes would be included.

“Hopefully, we are in the finishing stages of achieving an agreement in principle that will benefit American workers, farmers, ranchers, and businesses,” Lighthizer told the Senate Appropriations Committee in prepared testimony, adding that the talks were being done at an “unprecedented speed.”