NAFTA negotiations on hold citing U.S. auto demands

Negotiations with Mexico on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) have hit a wall as the U.S. and it's southern neighbor continue to accuse "one another of intransigence and inconsistency" following disagreements on car manufacturing rules, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Why it matters: The standstill follows President Trump's Wednesday remark as he said Canada and Mexico have been "very difficult to deal with." The U.S. and Mexico are at odds over the U.S.' proposed "skinny NAFTA deal" with those familiar with Mexico's position arguing that the U.S. is attempting to "bully" the country in to entering the deal. One person familiar with Mexico's reasoning told WSJ, "it doesn’t accomplish the essential task of solving our issues, the [NAFTA] issues."