U.S. Congress has to move on new NAFTA, Trump says before Trudeau meeting

LONDON — U.S. President Donald Trump says his country’s legislators have to ratify the new North American free-trade deal before Mexico and Canada lose interest in finalizing it.

He and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are meeting in London, on the sidelines of a summit of NATO leaders.

Sitting next to Trump, Trudeau says he thinks the relationship between Canada and the United States has never been stronger.

Trudeau praised the work the U.S., Canada and Mexico have been doing to get the new NAFTA approved in all three countries’ legislatures.

The Democrats who control the U.S. House of Representatives haven’t brought the deal up for a vote amid concerns about enforcing environmental and labour standards on Mexican employers.

Lead negotiators for all three countries met over several days last week, trying to agree on refinements that could get the deal congressional approval.