Mexico’s chief negotiator for the North American Free Trade Agreement told Mexican media that a renegotiated deal was unlikely to be concluded this week, but argued that would not be fatal to the talks.
Negotiators had been rushing to complete a deal this week ahead of unofficial deadlines faced by the U.S. and Mexico that, if missed, mean any deal likely would have to be pushed into next year.
“It has been advancing, but we are not in a condition to say that we can close NAFTA,” Kenneth Smith Ramos said, according to a translation tweeted Wednesday by Mexico City radio station XHMVS. Ramos added that the status was “not fatal” and the negotiations “will continue” independent of Congress’ schedule.
“It was determined to continue negotiating, until we have an agreement,” he said.
Ramos was referring to the rules for the White House submitting a deal to Congress for approval under Trade Promotion Authority. The president must give Congress notice 90 calendar days prior to signing an agreement. It also must give the International Trade Commission the same notice and allow it 105 days to produce an assessment of the deal. That would put the deadline at about May 18, according to most estimates, because that is 195 days from when the Congress is scheduled to conclude.
“I think [U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer] is genuinely trying to get to a piece of legislation that will have bipartisan support and I applaud him for that … We never got that kind of audience when we were dealing with the Obama administration,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., a major free-trade critic.
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto is also under pressure to conclude a deal prior to his country’s July 1 president election. Opposition party candidate Andres Obrador has led in the polls. “If the negotiation continues and NAFTA is not closed before the elections, what will be done is to work and have contact with the transition team who won the presidency of Mexico,” Ramos said.
