USMCA: Democrats back Trump trade deal – minutes after unveiling impeachment charges

House speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced that Democrats have reached a deal on Donald Trump's revised version of Nafta, just after her caucus introduced two articles of impeachment against the president.

The deal would revise the 1990s free trade agreement between the countries, with slight tweaks that would especially impact the autos sector, copyright and the US dairy industry.

But the timing of the deal shows that Ms Pelosi is also playing a shrewd political game, knowing that some of her most vulnerable members may be sticking their necks out by backing impeachment against Mr Trump. At the same time, Democrats are risking handing Mr Trump a major trade victory with just under a year before the 2020 election.

More follows...