U.S. trade rep says USMCA is a ‘better’ deal after some labor concessions

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer dismissed the idea of political costs to the administration after some Republicans signaled concern over concessions President Trump made to get Democrats on board with a trade deal with Mexico and Canada. 

“There are always process issues. This bill is better now with the exception of biologics, which is a big exception,” Lighthizer said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” referring to a 10-year data exclusivity period for biologic drugs that was dropped from the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) deal as part of the negotiation. 

“With the exception of biologics, it’s more enforceable and it’s better for American workers and American manufacturers and agriculture workers than it was before. For sure,” he added. {mosads}

Lighthizer also noted that Democrats won the 2018 election to take control of the House. 

He also said his plan was always for USCMA to “be a Trump trade policy.”

“And a Trump trade policy is going to get a lot of Democratic support,” he said. “Remember, most of these working people voted for the president of the United States. These are not his enemies.”

“So what did we concede on? We conceded on biologics. Yes. That was a move away from what I wanted, for sure,” he continued. “But labor enforcement? There’s nothing about being against labor enforcement that’s Republican.”

But several Republican senators have expressed concern over the deal. 

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Penn.) said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the deal was a “complete capitulation” to speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)

Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and John Thunes (S.D.) said last week the deal could be “problematic”