[CTC] Hatch wants final NAFTA notification letter this week

[Arthur Stamoulis]

POLITICO

Hatch wants final NAFTA notification letter this week

By Adam Behsudi
05/16/2017 01:05 PM EDT

Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e0e8dbe8e54efafc3780d8209f519c32eb51e0208e1b562bd260236beb33c255f1f313eabf9fa8e574b5cc6c60e445bb15ce25cca78a5f99d99cafbeca018f9d> said today he’d like the administration to trigger a 90-day consultation period on NAFTA renegotiation as soon as this week.

“We’re going to be working on that this week,” the Utah Republican said. “We hope we can get most of that put to bed this week.”

The Trump administration has yet to submit to Congress a final version of a letter notifying lawmakers of its intent to enter into negotiations with Canada and Mexico, which would set the 90-day period in motion. It remains to be seen how much will change from a draft <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e0e8dbe8e54efafcbe77f415ef4738bf7cd4668e86900fd6ef4c97f3152e02954acb05404ecbe108f86ba0be062dd248835b05122ffa7ac9be59d30e09a9bcce> of the letter that emerged in March. 

Hatch said he hadn’t seen a more recent version of the letter, but stressed his desire to see the process advance. "I’d like to start it as soon as we can," he said. "I’d like to trigger it."

NAFTA talks can only start once the 90-day period has passed. The launch has been delayed by the drawn-out process for confirming Robert Lighthizer as U.S. Trade Representative. Senate Democrats had refused to continue with the NAFTA consultation process, as required under trade promotion authority legislation, until Lighthizer was sworn in, which happened Monday.

Finance Committee members are scheduled to meet with Lighthizer this afternoon. The new USTR is also scheduled to meet this week with House Ways and Means Committee members and special trade advisory groups in both the House and the Senate.


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