Trump on Mexico Trade: 'May Have Something Worked Out'
Solange Reyner
President Donald Trump during a White House event Monday said his administration "may have something worked out with Mexico" on trade.
The president said he is in discussions with Mexican President-Elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador about doing something "very dramatic, something very positive for both countries."
Lopez Obrador, Trump said at the "Made in America Product Showcase," is "a terrific person" and the two spoke "at length on a call."
"We're talking to Mexico on NAFTA, and I think we're going to have something worked out," he said.
Trump did not mention Canada in his comments.
His comments come hours after Bloomberg reported Mexico was pushing for a NAFTA deal by the end of August and follows an Axios report German chancellor Angela Merkel is open to negotiating a trade deal to prevent Trump from carrying out his threat to put 25 percent tariffs on car imports into the U.S.
Lopez Obrador, who takes office Dec. 1., said he was not aware of any deal Trump was referring to, but he was open to talking with the U.S., according to Bloomberg.
NAFTA negotiations are set to resume this week in Washington, D.C., and Mexico is sending chief NAFTA negotiator Jesus Seade to join the team on its trip. Trump last week said he was looking to prioritize bilateral trade talks with Mexico over Canada, though Mexico has expressed a preference to preserve a three-nation agreement.
The president in early July also said he preferred to delay signing a revised version of the agreement until after the midterm elections.