The White House on Tuesday notified Congress of an intent to start three separate trade agreement negotiations with Japan, the European Union and the United Kingdom.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement that President Donald Trump intends to “expand U.S. trade and investment” through these agreements.
“We are committed to concluding these negotiations with timely and substantive results for American workers, farmers, ranchers and businesses,” he added.
The Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015, or Trade Promotion Authority, requires ongoing consultations with Congress during executive branch trade negotiations.
According to the Office of U.S. Trade Representative, in 2017, U.S. goods and services trade totaled an estimated $283.6 billion with Japan, $1.2 trillion with the EU and $235.9 billion with the U.K.