The Trump administration is eyeing a vote before the August congressional recess to protect the deal from the 2020 electoral cycle, said U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s John Murphy.
His organization remains optimistic about ratification this year. "Beneath the news of the day, there have been positive developments," he said.
While a number of outstanding issues need to be resolved before a vote can take place, the gaps between Democrats and the administration “are bridgeable” and don’t require reopening the deal, Murphy said.
“I have been doing this for 20 years and in every trade agreement there are issues that need to be addressed,” he said.
Linda Dempsey, a vice president at the National Association of Manufacturers, said outreach by Lighthizer in Congress has built momentum for a deal. "There’s a lot of goodwill," she said.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.