What Congress Should Insist On in Trump’s Trade Deal with Mexico and Canada

Consumers and businesses alike want the threshold for taxes and duties on imports to be high, not low. With a divided government and another presidential-election cycle already in full swing, it’s tempting to think that any priorities of the Trump administration are dead on arrival in Congress. However, do-nothing gridlock is not inevitable: The renegotiated NAFTA deal (the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement, or USMCA) offers an opportunity for progress on important trade policies even in a heated and divided political environment. The White House has launched a legislative-affairs offensive to get House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and recalcitrant Democrats on board with the agreement. This has raised the suspicions of some Republicans, who are concerned that Democrats will be granted too much latitude in negotiations and that the agreement will be soiled by left-leaning priorities.