A special clause in the new US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement gives Washington a near-veto over any attempt by Canada or Mexico to agree to a free-trade deal with a “non-market economy”.  The agreement needs to be approved by the governments of all three counties, including the US Congress, which isn’t expected to take it up until early next year.

in what analysts have said is a major threat to China’s position in the global trading system.

(Comment: Despite repeated Chinese demands, the US and European Union have refused to classify China as a “market economy”.)