Trade Deal

A new trade deal with Canada, and Mexico is moving forward after winning backing from House Democrats. A vote in the House will come next week, and sometime in the Senate next year. It is a victory for President Trump, after months of negotiations to revise NAFTA, which was a campaign promise when he ran in 2016. Business leaders, including Garry Douglas with the North Country Chamber of Commerce, say the deal is critical to cross-border manufacturing and trade in the North Country. The trade deal will replace NAFTA when ratified. Canada and Mexico also have to sign off on the changes approved by Democrats. Some of the provisions in the deal include higher wages for auto workers in Mexico, requiring a greater percentage of parts used to build cars and trucks originate in North America to avoid duties. It also gives U-S dairy farmers more access to Canada.