NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration informed U.S. lawmakers that it intends to launch formal negotiations on overhauling the North American Free Trade Agreement, a big bet by President Donald Trump that he can win concessions from Canada and Mexico, and push a deal through Congress.
Mr. Trump, who called the trade deal a ‘disaster’ on the campaign trail, threatened to pull the U.S. out of Nafta as recently as last month and is seeking to bring maximum negotiating leverage to the talks.
‘Today, President Trump is fulfilling one of his key promises to the American people,’ U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told reporters on Thursday.
In a letter to congressional leaders, Mr. Lighthizer said the administration will start talks with Canada and Mexico as soon as 90 days from Thursday, in line with congressional rules on negotiating trade deals subject to expedited consideration by lawmakers.”
-William Mauldin and Jacob M. Schlesinger, “Trump Administration Notifies Congress of Intent to Launch Nafta Talks,” The Wall Street Journal online, May 18, 2017