NAFTA 2.0 Talks Timeline Is Getting Tighter

Lamenting the latest round of NAFTA 2.0 talks did not get to the point hoped for relative to progress in wrapping up the talks, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said time is running out to get the deal done. Only six of 30 chapters have been agreed upon, according to Lighthizer, who said, "We have not made the progress that many had hoped in this round." He said the three nations "have a month or a month and a half or something to get agreement in principle" before the talks will stall due to Mexico’s July presidential election as well as elections in the U.S. and Canada.Asked if he would consider suspending the talks for the summer and resume them after the elections, he said: "It’s conceivable that that happens....it’s not irrational to think you would have lower-speed talks... at some point just to kind of keep the talks going." Lighthizer must formally notify Congress 90 days before signing the final NAFTA 2.0 agreement. In addition, once the agreement is signed, the U.S. International Trade Commission must do a study on its economic impact. It has 105 days to complete the report a combined period of 195 days