<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><br class=""><div class=""><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 15.399999618530273px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b class=""><span style="font-size: 36pt; line-height: 50.400001525878906px; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif;" class="">USTR<img apple-inline="yes" id="76F9E335-5FF9-44B6-AABE-AEE9A1F4132E" height="96" width="96" apple-width="yes" apple-height="yes" src="cid:image001.png@01D3007F.A2462930" class="">NEWS</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 16.799999237060547px; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 15.399999618530273px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b class=""><u class=""><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 28px; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif;" class="">UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 16.799999237060547px; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 15.399999618530273px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ustr.gov/" title="http://www.ustr.gov/" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 16.799999237060547px; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif;" class="">www.ustr.gov</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 16.799999237060547px; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif;" class=""> Washington, D.C. 20508 202-395-3230<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt 1in; line-height: 15.399999618530273px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center; text-indent: -1in;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 14.699999809265137px; font-family: 'Book Antiqua', serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE </span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">July 19, 2017 <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Contact:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> USTR Public & Media Affairs<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><a href="mailto:media@ustr.eop.gov" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">media@ustr.eop.gov</a><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><b class=""><u class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> </span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><b class=""><u class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> </span></u></b></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 16pt;" class="">USTR Announces First Round of NAFTA Negotiations</span></b><o:p class=""></o:p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; line-height: 15.399999618530273px; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> <o:p class=""></o:p></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><b class=""><i class="">Washington, D.C. –</i></b> United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer today announced arrangements for the first round of negotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">The first round of the negotiations between the United States, Canada and Mexico will take place in Washington, D.C. from August 16 – 20, 2017.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">The negotiations immediately follows the 90-day consultation period with Congress and the public initiated on May 18, 2017. On that day, Ambassador Lighthizer notified Congress of President Trump's intent to renegotiate NAFTA to get a better deal for America's workers, farmers, businesses and manufacturers.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Ambassador Lighthizer also announced that John Melle, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Western Hemisphere, will serve as Chief Negotiator for the NAFTA negotiations. In his role as Chief Negotiator, Melle will be responsible for the day-to-day negotiations at the staff level.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Since joining USTR in 1988, John Melle has held a number of positions covering Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Central America. As Assistant USTR for the Western Hemisphere, he is responsible for developing, coordinating and implementing the United States’ trade policy for the region. <o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: center;" class="">###<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div></div></body></html>