Mexican officials want any renegotiation of NAFTA done this year so it doesn’t get caught up in their elections next year. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer says no deadline has been set to finalize negotiations. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Vice President of Government Affairs Colin Woodall says the timing of the renegotiation isn’t as important as keeping the gains the U.S. already has in the deal.

Some Mexican customers of U.S. ag commodities have already indicated they’re nervous about a redo of NAFTA. Woodall says they understand those concerns and since Mexico is an important market for U.S. beef, negotiators need to tread carefully with NAFTA discussions.

He says President Trump must make sure all the high-level government officials from the Trade Representative’s office to the USDA to the Commerce Department are involved in the NAFTA talks.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says the best window for concluding the NAFTA renegotiation talks is January of 2018.