The Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has confirmed that the USMCA trade agreement is making progress on the US side and is on the way to getting ratified by the US. The new trade agreement which is expected to replace the previous NAFTA agreement between the US, Mexico and Canada was signed about a year ago.

However, the USMCA deal faced opposition by some Democrat lawmakers who sought clarification on some aspects of environmental, labor laws. On Thursday, Pelosi stated, “I’m optimistic that we are still on a path to yes, and that … we will come to conclusion soon on that.”

The deal has already been ratified by Mexico but awaits passing by Canada and the US. The previous $1 trillion NAFTA deal was deemed unfavorable for American workers and businesses and was replaced with the USMCA trade agreement instead.

A working group Democrat lawmakers have been working with the US Trade Representative’s office to get their concerns addressed. Key issues raised include enforcement of labor and climate provisions in the USMCA as well as provisions regarding pharmaceuticals.