U.S., Canada reach deal to replace NAFTA

The United States and Canada reached a deal Sunday night to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, officials from both countries said.

The deal, which was reached before a midnight deadline set by President Donald Trump, will include an earlier deal reached between the United States and Mexico and be called the “United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement,” U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said in a joint statement.

“USMCA will give our workers, farmers, ranchers and businesses a high-standard trade agreement that will result in freer markets, fairer trade and robust economic growth in our region,” Lighthizer and Freeland said. “It will strengthen the middle class and create good, well-paying jobs and new opportunities for the nearly half-billion people who call North America home. We look forward to further deepening our close economic ties when this new agreement enters into force.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has scheduled a news conference to discuss the deal at 11 a.m. Eastern Monday.

CNBC reported the deal includes necessary updates not covered under NAFTA, such as new provisions on digital trade and intellectual property. The Toronto Star reported it removes some tariffs on automobiles manufactured in Canada.

“It’s a good day for Canada,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said late Sunday.

Trump, who pushed for a NAFTA replacement, is reportedly “on board” with the deal, which is being seen as a crucial policy win for the president heading into the November midterm elections.

The deal still needs to be approved by the participating countries’ congressional representatives.

It will head to the Mexican congress, where it is expected to be signed into law by current Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto before his left-leaning successor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, takes office on Dec. 1.

In the United States, the Trump administration wants a vote before the midterms in case Republicans lose the majority, but the vote could be delayed until early next year.