NAFTA autos talks center on ‘focused value’ approach; Lighthizer sticks to wage component

Negotiations on a new NAFTA automotive rule of origin now center on a “focused value” framework the three countries have agreed to that would rank components based on their importance to a vehicle, but U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer continues to push for 85 percent regional value content and an approach designed to move the production of critical components to high-wage jurisdictions, according to sources familiar with the talks. The so-called “focused regional value content” was first floated as a...