"We need to assure that huge trade deficits do not continue and we have balance and reciprocity. This should be periodically reviewed," Lighthizer said.
In July, the USTR's office for the first time included deficit reduction as a specific objective for the NAFTA negotiations, reflecting the Trump administration's determination to address the issue.
However, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland dismissed the use of trade deficits as indicators of the success of a trade agreement.
"Canada doesn't view trade surpluses or deficits as a primary measure of whether a trading relationship works," Freeland said in her opening remarks, adding current trade between the U.S. and Canada is "balanced and mutually beneficial."
Lighthizer said the U.S. would also seek to tighten the rules of origin for automobiles and auto parts by requiring a higher NAFTA content and "substantial U.S. content" .
The existing rules of origin allows the autos with a regional value content of 62.5 percent or higher to qualify for shipping them duty-free in North America. That's already the highest among the 12 free trade agreements that the U.S. currently has, according to Matt Blunt, head of American Automotive Policy Council.
Blunt said the current threshold for local content requirement strikes the right balance, warning that tightening the rules of origin in NAFTA could be disruptive and hurt the competitiveness of automakers in U.S., Canada and Mexico.
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