US ‘very close’ to proceeding with Mexico-only trade deal – White House adviser Hassett

The US is getting “very, very close” to having to move forward on its trade deal with Mexico without Canada, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Friday. There is just over a week to go before an October 1 deadline to publish the text of a deal to update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but major differences remain, Reuters said. Washington and Ottawa have still not agreed on terms, Hassett told Fox News. “We’re still talking to Canada, and we’re getting very, very close to the deadline where we’re going to have to move ahead with Mexico all by themselves,” said Hassett, who chairs the White House Council of Economic Advisers. “I worry that politics in Canada is trumping common sense because there’s a very good deal that was designed by Mexico and the US to appeal to Canada,” Hassett added.