WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser says the president now prefers to negotiate separately with Canada and Mexico over their three-country trade deal.
Still, Larry Kudlow told “Fox & Friends” that Trump isn’t going to withdraw the U.S. from the North American Free Trade Agreement. Kudlow says Trump is “just going to try a different approach.” Trump recently floated the idea of negotiating separately with Canada and Mexico.
Kudlow says Trump and his other economic advisers met several times Monday and that Trump asked Kudlow to convey his new preference.
Trump’s desire for a new approach may further complicate already tense talks that have been underway for months on renegotiating NAFTA. Trump maintains the landmark free-trade deal is a “disaster” that has killed U.S. jobs and hurt manufacturing.