North American carmakers and auto parts companies breathed a sigh of relief on Monday after the United States and Canada signed off on a new trade deal with Mexico. The agreement, which includes new regional requirements on auto parts and wage levels, removes a giant question mark that has crimped industry investment since US President Donald Trump took office in January 2017 and swiftly began challenging the international trade order. “At least now we know, the industry has been in a state of flux for the last 18 months,” said Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist at Cox Automotive.
