<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-mexico-nafta-donohue-idUSKBN17Q10Q" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-mexico-nafta-donohue-idUSKBN17Q10Q</a><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span class="timestamp">Mon Apr 24, 2017 | 7:39am EDT</span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><h1 style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 24pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Trump admin taking 'constructive' stance on NAFTA-U.S. Chamber of Commerce<o:p class=""></o:p></h1><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span class="author">By <a href="http://www.reuters.com/journalists/mitra-taj" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">Mitra Taj</a></span> <span class="divider">|</span><span class="location"> MEXICO CITY</span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has adopted a "constructive" approach to NAFTA behind the scenes, despite headlines to the contrary, the head of the biggest U.S. business lobby said in a speech due to be delivered in Mexico City later on Monday.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Thomas Donohue, president and chief executive of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said in prepared remarks that his organization was urging the Trump administration to amend but not abandon the North American Free Trade Agreement, and would not stop until the deal with Canada and Mexico was strengthened.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">"I want to assure you, despite what you may see in the news, there is a constructive process underway behind the scenes," Donohue said in the text of the speech to be given at the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">The comments should help soothe government officials and business leaders in Mexico irked by Trump's repeated promises to ditch the trade deal if he cannot negotiate better terms for the United States.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Trump reiterated the threat last week, insisting that "some very big changes" are needed for the United States to stay in NAFTA - putting pressure again on Mexico's peso.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Donohue said the trade deal, which came into effect more than two decades ago, had made North America the world's most competitive region, millions of U.S. jobs relied on the trade deal and in the past seven years alone U.S. exports to Mexico had grown by $100 billion, "eclipsing gains in any other market".<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">The chamber clashed with Trump before he took office in January, saying his proposals, especially on trade, would push up prices, kill jobs and weaken growth.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">But Donohue says he has been "very encouraged" by recent meetings with U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">"Reality is setting in for the president," Donohue said. "We are encouraging the administration to take the same pragmatic, fact-based approach to NAFTA."<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Trump's tough campaign rhetoric has given way to pragmatism, says Donohue, who told Reuters on Sunday evening he believed a basic deal on a reworked NAFTA could be agreed by mid-2018.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">The chamber wants the United States to work quickly to update NAFTA by using the deal's amendment process to avoid delays that could suppress economic growth and fuel political risks.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Mexico's presidential elections next year could complicate NAFTA talks, especially if candidates hostile to Trump win.</p></body></html>