Industry groups are renewing their push to convince President Donald Trump to lift his tariffs on Canadian and Mexican steel and aluminum before signing a replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement at the end of next week.
This story by Katie Lobosco originally appeared on CNN.com.
A group of nearly 40 U.S. industry groups representing manufacturers, retailers and farmers sent a fresh letter this week asking the administration to remove the duties, which were imposed earlier this year. Automakers, especially, have repeatedly said the tariffs will wipe out the benefits generated by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, known as USMCA.
“Tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum are entirely inconsistent with the overall goals of the USMCA,” reads the letter, which was sent to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Monday.
Trump is due to sign the new deal with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto next week, before Mexican president-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador takes office on Dec. 1.
Trump’s counterparts also want the tariffs lifted. Both countries have retaliated by imposing duties on American exports, including yogurt, cheese, pork, maple syrup and bourbon. In October, a Mexican official suggested his country wouldn’t sign the new agreement until Trump lifts the duties.