The U.S. House Ways and Means Committee approved a revised North American trade deal by voice vote on Tuesday, indicating likely broad support for implementing legislation in a House of Representatives floor vote on Thursday...
The committee’s voice vote moves President Donald Trump’s three-year effort to rewrite NAFTA...
Trump said on Tuesday that the timing of a U.S. Senate vote on USMCA is up to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. McConnell has said he may wait to stage the vote until after an expected impeachment trial for Trump, which would take place early in 2020.
Key changes negotiated in amendments include a new mechanism under which the United States and Canada can convene panels to review complaints that Mexican factories are denying labour rights, including the freedom to organize and collectively bargain.
The deal also eliminates a 10-year data exclusivity period for biologic drugs and other pharmaceuticals provisions that Democrats feared would raise prices...
Mexico’s Senate approved the trade pact last week.
Canada could be the last of the three countries to ratify USMCA, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday, citing the Canadian legislative calendar.
Canadian lawmakers are not due back from a winter break until Jan 27. Trudeau’s Liberals lost their majority in an October election and must work more closely with opposition parties to push through legislation.
This was excerpted from 17 December 2019 edition of The Globa and Mail.