WASHINGTON—The Trump administration has written to Congress telling legislators of its plan to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Groups such as the National Association of Manufacturers reacted positively to the news. However, organizations incuding Public Citizen and the United Steelworkers union fear that NAFTA renegotiation will be a back-door attempt to revive portions of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which President Trump killed earlier this year after explicitly promising to do so during his campaign.
In a May 18 letter, newly appointed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told Congress that Trump plans to initiate negotiations with Canada and Mexico regarding NAFTA within 90 days. The administration will work closely with Congress to ensure that the goals of the renegotiation are consistent with congressional priorities, Lighthizer wrote.