PARIS — US President Trump on Wednesday said that the United States would do better without the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade and that he would prefer not to have a new one, but added that he was open to doing it. “I would rather not have the agreement, but I may sign it,” Trump said in France. “We do better as a country if we don’t have an agreement.” …The US Trade Representative’s Office is holding talks with Mexico this week in Washington focused on agriculture and “a level playing field,” with a third set of talks in Mexico City scheduled for the week of July 20. Agricultural groups are urging Trump to extend USMCA for another 16 years with duty-free farm products, strengthened provisions for genetically modified corn and ethanol access in Mexico and improved access to Canada’s largely closed dairy market. Automakers are also pressing for an extension.
In related coverage by:
- Kelly Malone in the Canadian Press: Trump says he would rather not have CUSMA
- Mike Crawley in CBC News: Here’s the reality behind Trump’s takes on the trade deal