Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 7/16/18

Mexico's incoming and outgoing governments will present a united front in the NAFTA renegotiation, Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said on Friday. While Mexico, Canada and the U.S. still haven't made official plans to reconvene the trade talks, Videgaray's remarks clear the way for talks to resume again after the country's July 1 election ushered in a win for leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Videgaray promised on Friday after a meeting with high-level U.S. officials — including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin — that President Enrique Peña Nieto's administration and López Obrador's team will work "as one front, as a joint front for Mexico — that's how we're working on the relationship with the United States."

The new administration will officially take office on Dec. 1. The current government will work "in close coordination with López Obrador's negotiating team on the free trade agreement," Videgaray added, emphasizing that Mexico remains committed to working "at an accelerated pace to reach a successful [NAFTA] renegotiation as soon as it's possible."

Where we're at: Talks between the U.S., Mexico and Canada have been largely stalled for almost two months as a result of major differences on issues such as market access for dairy, investor-state dispute settlement and a so-called sunset clause. But officials from the three countries have repeatedly said that talks would pick back up after the election.

The future of the NAFTA renegotiation falls on the Trump administration right now, said Eric Farnsworth, vice president for Council of the Americas.

"The biggest issue in NAFTA is that there's a fundamental difference as to how we view trade, the purpose of NAFTA and the definition of its success," Farnsworth said, adding that it's up to the U.S. to change its approach.

AMLO knows the U.S.'s importance to the pact: López Obrador will likely seek a positive relationship with the U.S. because his large-scale agenda requires it, Farnsworth added.

"A lot of AMLO's ability to be able to achieve his agenda will depend on a growing economy, and Mexico's economy depends a lot on the United States," Farnsworth said. "Fighting corruption and poverty requires resources."