Trump, House Democrats reach deal on USMCA trade agreement

The deal comes more than a year after the United States, Mexico and Canada signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to replace NAFTA.

ronniechua, Adobe Stock
ronniechua, Adobe Stock

House Democrats and the Trump administration have reached an agreement to move forward with the White House’s replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement, top Democrats said Tuesday.

The two sides had worked for more than a year to resolve Democratic concerns about enforcement tools for labor and environmental standards under the new deal, known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. House Democrats, President Donald Trump, top Senate Republicans and labor leaders all cited progress toward a deal this week.

The Trump administration needs to submit ratifying legislation to Congress for the House to move forward with approving the agreement. Once the White House submits text — it could do so in the coming days — a 90-day window to approve USMCA starts.