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President says he would rather terminate USMCA than keep it; leaves open signing
Summary
The President told reporters he "would rather leave it unsigned" or "have it terminated" rather than maintain the USMCA, while acknowledging he might still sign the agreement and noting it expires after a decade.
A reporter asked how long U.S.‑Mexico‑Canada Agreement negotiations and review would continue. The President said he "would rather leave it unsigned" and later stated he "would rather have it terminated," citing his primary reason for supporting USMCA originally was to exit NAFTA because NAFTA lacked an exit mechanism. He also said he might sign it despite reservations.
When asked whether the pact would "stick around for 10 years," the President said it "expires" in a decade and that he "prefers that," adding he viewed immediate expiration as a possibility. He framed the agreement as less desirable now, saying the country would "do better without that agreement," though he acknowledged he had favored it previously for providing an exit from NAFTA.
Reporters also asked about tariffs and whether the U.S. would consider allowing Chinese cars; the President said the U.S. faces higher effective tariffs on Chinese cars (over "100% tariff") and that other countries face different pressures. The briefing did not record a specific policy action on USMCA during the session.
