(NETWORK INDIANA) President Trump’s replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement faces an uncertain path to approval by Congress.
Indiana Republican Todd Young says he supports the U-S-Mexico-Canada Agreement. He says Indiana’s heavy concentration of manufacturing and agriculture makes a trade deal with America’s neighbors critical. And he says the deal improves on NAFTA by covering services as well as goods.
But Young says it’s unclear whether Trump’s renegotiated NAFTA has the votes to pass the Democratic House. He says many members have policy disagreements with the deal, and charges some Democrats want to deny Trump a victory.
Trump added a complication with a threat to impose tariffs on Mexican auto imports even if the trade deal is approved, unless Mexico makes progress in controlling illegal border crossings. Young says he doesn’t expect that threat to affect the debate — he says lawmakers are focused on the deal itself. He’s steering clear of commenting on the tariff threat itself.