President Donald Trump on Wednesday reiterated a previously expressed sentiment that the United States could renegotiate NAFTA as two separate bilaterals, noting during a meeting with Cabinet officials that his administration could reach a deal with Mexico first and negotiate with Canada later.
Trump added that his administration has been having “very good discussions” with the president-elect of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who was elected earlier this month, about modernizing NAFTA.
Lopez will take over for Enrique Pena Nieto as president of Mexico on Dec. 1.
During a press conference on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said if the United States could make a bilateral trade deal with Mexico, “we’re certainly very happy to do that,” but added that the U.S. is continuing conversations with Canada as well.
Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said in a radio interview on Wednesday that senior U.S. and Mexican officials have agreed to ramp up the NAFTA renegotiation with a goal to reach a preliminary deal by the end of August, The Wall Street Journal reported.