U.S. President Donald Trump is warning Congress not to interfere with his plans for a new North American Free Trade Agreement, lest he cancel the deal entirely.
Congress must approve any rewrite of the deal, and could refuse to endorse an agreement that excludes Canada.
Trump notified Congress on Friday of his intent to sign a revamped deal in 90 days, amid negotiations that blew past the deadline imposed by the president.
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He says on Twitter that a deal will go ahead with or without Canada’s involvement, and if Congress tries to intervene, he will “terminate NAFTA entirely.”
Trump contends in the Saturday morning tweet that there is “no political necessity” to include Canada in a deal, after the U.S. and Mexico reached an agreement on Monday.
Talks to keep Canada in the trade bloc will resume this week as the two countries try to resolve thorny issues including Canada’s dairy market and U.S. efforts to shield drug companies from generic competition.
The Canadian Press
