Ross says NAFTA negotiations face timing pressure in 2018: CNBC

[September 22, 2017]  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Friday said talks to update the NAFTA trade pact with Mexico and Canada faced timing pressure in 2018 when various regional elections and other trade issues could overshadow negotiations.

Wilbur Ross, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, answers a question during the Concordia Summit in Manhattan, New York, U.S., September 19, 2017. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon

"If you get much into 2018, the political calendar will overwhelm the trade calendar," Ross told CNBC in an interview, adding that auto parts are a key issue in the effort to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey)

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