Members of the Trump administration keep dropping hints that withdrawing from NAFTA is not in their current plans.
The latest example came Thursday when U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told a gathering in Congress that he’s cautiously hopeful there will be a deal.
READ MORE: NAFTA talks moving too fast to make substantial progress, Canada’s chief negotiator says
He refused to even discuss the potential consequences of a U.S. withdrawal from NAFTA when asked by a congressman – because, Mnuchin said, that’s not the U.S. administration’s main priority.
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It’s the third such hint from a prominent member of the administration in recent days.
WATCH: ‘Canada does not treat us right,’ Trump questions partnership in NAFTA ultimatum
U.S. trade czar Bob Lighthizer, in a public meeting this week, said progress is being made in the renegotiation. He described the anxiety about a U.S. withdrawal as something in the past tense.
That’s after U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said he expects a NAFTA deal by year’s end.
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