NAFTA: The Clock Is Ticking

As Dickinson Wright predicted in a series of prior NAFTA briefing notes (see below), the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer issued a notice to Congress on Friday, August 30, 2018 of “President Trump’s intent to sign a trade agreement with Mexico—and Canada, if it is willing—90 days from now.” The notice started the 90-day clock on consultations with Congress and stakeholders regarding the preliminary United States-Mexico Trade Agreement announced earlier this week (our most recent briefing note on the US-Mexico agreement is included below). Canada and the US will reconvene for their negotiations on Wednesday, September 6 and attempt to resolve any outstanding issues as soon as possible. The text of the full agreement is due on or before October 1, 2018. The final agreement thereafter will advance through Mexico’s legislative process and be prepared for signatures by the three countries by the close of November 2018 and before the transition to