U.S. House Democrats Say They Still Need Convincing On USMCA Labor Enforcement By Mexico

While most eyes last week were on news of a potential limited trade deal between the United States and China, a delegation of U.S. House Democrats traveled to Mexico to try to allay their fears about labor enforcement in that country of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the trilateral pact those three nations are eyeing to replace NAFTA.

The trip reportedly yielded little movement from the lawmakers on the issue, unfortunately.

According to The Washington Examiner, after the trip U.S. House Ways and Means Chair Richard Neal (D-Mass.), who is overseeing USMCA negotiations for House Democrats, said, “Our meeting with President López Obrador shed further light on the Mexican government’s desire and intentions to carry out its labor justice reform, but the United States needs to see those assurances put into action.”

As the news outlet noted, Democrats have been insisting on more action by Mexico to enforce the USMCA’s labor provisions before they will consent to having a House vote on the trade deal. President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are still hopeful they can resolve Democrats’ concerns and vote on the deal this fall.

Mexican lawmakers have approved the pact while members of Canadian Parliament will wait until after that country’s upcoming election to consider the agreement.