Washington (AFP)

US Democrats on Tuesday backed the new version of the US-Canada-Mexico free trade agreement, paving the way for ratification in Congress by the end of the year.

The original text signed in late November 2018, has undergone amendments under the leadership of the Democrats and is now "much better," said Tuesday the leader of the Democrats Congress Nancy Pelosi.

"This trade agreement is (...) infinitely better than what was originally proposed by the Trump administration," she said.

Democrats, who have a majority in the House of Representatives, demanded that the text, signed last year, be amended to ensure that the new labor law in Mexico is implemented.

The last obstacles raised, the text, which must be signed in Mexico City on Tuesday, will therefore be ratified.

The AEUMC, which was signed on November 30, will then replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), in effect since 1994, which created a large trading area of ​​some 500 million people.

The Alena has made a significant contribution to the economic growth and rising standard of living of the population of the three member countries.

But it has also led to massive relocations in the automotive sector to the benefit of Mexico where labor is cheaper and at the expense of US manufacturers.

Donald Trump, who had rebelled against the Alena, according to him, "the worst of history", then imposed his renegotiation in the summer of 2017.

- "Labor regulations" -

"From day one, President (Donald) Trump has pledged to fight for trade deals that prioritize US jobs and workers, and that's going to happen with the US-Mexico agreement. Canada, "responded Vice President Mike Pence in a statement.

This treaty "will create even more jobs for working families who are the backbone of our economy - farmers, ranchers, manufacturers and small business owners," he added.

The main American union, AFL-CIO, announced shortly before it validated the amendments to the new text.

"For the first time, there will be really labor regulations that can be implemented," said its president Richard Trumka, in a statement, stressing that the agreement would include "a process that will inspect factories and installations which do not respect their obligations ".

If this free trade agreement is crucial for Mexico, it is also very important for the US economy.

Trade with Canada and Mexico supports 12 million US jobs and 49 US states have Mexico or Canada among their top three merchandise export markets, according to data from the US Chamber of Commerce.

Canada and Mexico account for 40% of the growth in overall US merchandise exports. And trade with both countries reached nearly $ 1.4 trillion in 2018.

"This agreement not only plunges our trade policy into the modern world, it is a victory for American workers, including those who feel that they have suffered in the past the plaster of bad policies," commented on his side. Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy.

© 2019 AFP