OTTAWA: US Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday he hoped the revised North American free trade deal would be ratified this summer.

Pence met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a visit to Canada aimed at building momentum to get a the continental trade deal passed, and said President Donald Trump is “absolutely determined to work with rank and file in the Congress and the leadership to move” the deal forward.

However, The Washington Post and CNBC reported from Washington shortly after those comments that Trump intends to force the hand of Congress, notifying lawmakers that he will put the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) before them within 30 days.

The reports cited administration sources saying the move would put pressure on Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who had warned the administration not to move until she had time to resolve lawmakers’ concerns.

In Ottawa Pence said, “Issues in Washington DC can arise but the American people should know and people in Canada should know that our administration is absolutely committed to driving forward to seeing the Congress of the United States approve the USMCA this summer.”

After a year of tough negotiations following Trump’s criticisms of the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, Ottawa, Washington and Mexico City last November signed the new pact revamping rules on manufacturing, digital commerce and labor rights, among other sectors.

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