Lighthizer opens NAFTA talks, calls for 'major improvement,' not 'tweaking'

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer opened the inaugural NAFTA renegotiation round on Aug. 16 with a stern warning that the U.S. intends to do far more than "tweak" the deal as it works to even out trade deficits. Lighthizer's opening remarks, delivered alongside Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal, were a stark contrast to his counterparts' statements. Freeland and Guajardo emphasized the strong trading relationship among NAFTA countries and their mutual willingness to...