US House passes USMCA in key step toward ratification

Washington: US lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Thursday approved a new continental free trade agreement, advancing a central plank in President Donald Trump’s trade agenda even as he faces impeachment.

A law to implement the new US-Mexico-Canada Agreement passed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority — an unusual occurrence in the current political atmosphere — with a vote tally of 385-41.

The bill now must be approved by the Senate, where the Republican majority leader has said it will have to wait until 2020.