FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, speaks during an interview in New York, U.S., December 3, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Wednesday said he expected the Canadian parliament to approve a new North American trade agreement very quickly, paving the way for the trade pact to take effect soon.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed legislation to implement the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which will replace the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) after it was approved by the U.S. Congress.
The Mexican parliament has already approved the deal, and Canada should follow suit quickly, Ross told the Howie Carr radio program. “Very, very quickly it will go through the Canadian parliament,” he said. “It should be within the next couple of weeks.”
Reporting by Eric Beech and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Dan Grebler