President Trump’s chief economic adviser said Tuesday that the new trade deal with Canada and Mexico shows that the continent “now stands united” against China.
“It sends a signal to China that we are acting as one and I think that is good,” Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council, told reporter at the White House.
The new three-way trade deal, which still needs approval from Congress, is key to Mr. Trump’s aggressive “America First” policies that aim to rebalance trade relationships, with China as the biggest target.
“There is a trade coalition of the willing that is beginning to fix a lot of broken areas in our international trading system and getting on the same page with cooperating,” Mr. Kudlow said.
He said the coalition included Canada and Mexico and other partners with new trade deals in the works with the U.S., including Japan and the European Union.
“That coalition will stand up to China and their unfair trading practices, their barriers, their IP theft, their forced technology transfers, you know the story,” he said.
The deal with Canada and Mexico would replace North American Free Trade Agreement with new rules designed to boost U.S. manufacturing and agriculture.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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