Mexico rejects US factory inspectors as part of trade deal Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says that his government has rejected a push from Democratic lawmakers in the United States to allow inspectors to check Mexican factories for labor rule compliance

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador says his government rejects Democratic lawmakers’ plan to allow U.S. inspectors to check Mexican factories for labor law compliance.

Mexico wants the U.S. Congress to approve a new North American trade accord before U.S. elections next year complicate the picture. Democrats are concerned Mexico’s unrepresentative unions have led to low wages that drain manufacturing jobs from the U.S.

López Obrador noted Mexico had passed reforms requiring free and fair union elections in its factories and approved a budget for monitoring. He says some Democrats continue raising concerns about implementation and compliance and requested inspectors.

He says, “We don’t accept that.”

Mexico countered with an idea of panels that would include representatives of both countries and a third nation to rule on controversies.