US President Special Advisor Jared Kushner (L) and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer (R) cross the street from the Trade Reprsentative's office to the White House after a meeting with Mexican Governement Ministers and officials on NAFTA in Washington on August 26, 2018. - The United States and Mexico are close to reaching a consensus over key issues stunting efforts to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), officials from both countries said during the week-end. (Photo by Eric BARADAT / AFP) (Photo credit should read ERIC BARADAT/AFP/Getty Images)
Finishing off trade negotiations is never easy, but reaching a deal in the NAFTA renegotiations may be even tougher. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is set to publish the text of the new trade agreement between Mexico and the United States on Sept. 28 and to announce its intention to move forward with the deal. The agreement is a victory for U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, which was eager to wrap up the talks before midterm elections in November and before Mexico's next president, the populist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, assumes power in December. But the negotiations aren't over yet. Discussions are still underway with the North American Free Trade Agreement's third party, Canada, with no clear timeline for their conclusion. Time Is of the Essence For the White House, the trade negotiations with Mexico have been a race against the clock.
