Trump hopes to have renegotiated NAFTA deal to present by mid-April: report

President Trump is reportedly hoping to have an updated version of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to unveil during the Summit of the Americas later this month. 

Bloomberg News reported Monday that the White House is pushing for a preliminary deal to announce during the April 13 summit in Peru. Officials involved in establishing an updated trade pact could then continue finalizing the details.

Negotiators are still reportedly working out some of the more controversial issues within the trade agreement, including those focusing on automotive rules and procurement.

{mosads}Mexican and Canadian economic leaders are expected to be in Washington, D.C., later this week to meet with U.S. officials, Bloomberg reported.

Trump has frequently railed against NAFTA, claiming it gives Mexico and Canada favorable terms at the expense of the U.S. He has threatened to withdraw from the agreement as recently as Sunday, when he said Mexico must “stop the big drug and people flows.”

Some lawmakers have been supportive of Trump’s plans to renegotiate NAFTA, but most have been more skeptical of his recent decision to implement steep global tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

Trump announced last month that steel imports will be taxed at a 25 percent rate, while aluminum imports will face a 10 percent tax. The president brushed off concerns that such measures could spark a trade war.

Several countries, including some of the largest steel exporters to the U.S., have since been temporarily exempted from the tariffs.