US not committed to completing NAFTA talks by end of 2017: Trump’s trade czar

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OTTAWA – The US trade representative says he’s not committed to wrapping up NAFTA’s renegotiation by year’s end.

Robert Lighthizer tells a Senate committee in Washington today that he wants to move as quickly as possible, but that it’s a higher priority for him to seal a very high standard agreement for the US.

Lighthizer also says he hasn’t set an arbitrary deadline to finish the upcoming renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

He says that while he still hopes to finish the renegotiation by the end of 2017, he notes that many people around him insist such a target is unrealistic.

The Mexican and US governments have said they want NAFTA negotiations completed by the first quarter of 2018.

Lighthizer says the Trump administration intends to move very quickly on launching NAFTA talks, which can begin as soon as Aug. 16 — right after the conclusion of a 90-day consultation period in the US.

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