Donald Trump has decided not to pull the US out of the North American Free Trade Agreement, agreeing instead with his Canadian and Mexican counterparts to “proceed swiftly” with negotiations to update the agreement, according to the White House.
The move came in hastily arranged calls between the three leaders after news leaked that the White House was considering unveiling an executive order on Saturday that would have laid the groundwork for a US withdrawal.
That step by the White House — due to come on Mr Trump’s 100th day in office — had been interpreted as an effort to score political points domestically and to put pressure on Canada and Mexico to do a deal rather than a genuine move to scrap the trade pact.