On December 10, representatives for the U.S., Mexico, and Canada signed a revised version of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The agreed-upon revisions came after a series of negotiations between U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Mexico, and Democratic members of the U.S. House who expressed lingering objections on what they saw as inadequate labor standards enforcement provisions in the original agreement.

The three countries are expected to advance the ratification process for USCMA substantially before the end of the year, with implementation legislation being introduced in the House (H.R.5430) on December 13. The House is expected to vote and pass the legislation before the week’s end when Congress is scheduled to adjourn until 2020. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has said that his chamber will take up the legislation sometime in early 2020 after hearings on impeachment take place.