Mexico still hopeful for passage of USMCA trade deal

The ratification of the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) could still pass the U.S. Congress by year end, a senior Mexican trade official said Oct. 31 in Washington.

Deputy Foreign Minister for North America Jesus Seade said his predicted timeline had “extended a little” for the Democrats in U.S. House of Representatives to agree on what changes they would like to see to the agreement. Seade, who helped craft the new trade pact, said there was some expectation that Democrats could finalize proposed changes by Nov. 28, according to an online report by Reuters.

The report says Seade had previously hoped that the House would have agreed to such changes by this week. He added, how the proposed changes will affect the trade deal will determine how quickly Mexico agrees to them.

According to another report by Reuters, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he talked with recently reelected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, congratulating him on his win and agreeing to keep working toward ratifying the new North American trade deal.

Lopez Obrador said on Twitter that both leaders will work on convincing U.S. lawmakers on the passage of the trade deal.

The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) recently joined the National Association of Manufacturers and numerous other trade associations and businesses representing the manufacturing sector in a letter to Congress urging passage of the trade deal as soon as possible.

The association states the agreement will “expand domestic manufacturing and increase access to the Canadian and Mexican markets” and also “help alleviate the recycling market issues facing our services members through increased demand for manufacturing feedstock.”