U.S, Canada “very close” to trade deal, White House’s Hassett says

 The United States and Canada are “very close to finally having a deal” on trade, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Sunday, as talks are “gathering steam.”

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has spoken with Canadian counterparts all week, Hassett said on Fox News. Canadian elections, including a vote on Alberta secession, had made negotiations “impossible,” he said.

Hassett called the U.S. economy “about the best economy we’ve ever seen,” with growth of 3% or 4%. He said falling energy prices would lift growth higher, adding that U.S. President Donald Trump has said they will “drop like a rock.”

Energy prices remain a pressure point amid the Iran war and Iran’s effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, where roughly 20% of the world’s oil is exported. Annual consumer price inflation ticked up to 3.7% in September from 3.4% in August.