Donald Trump’s top trade negotiator appeared to back away on Tuesday from a widely criticised threat to pull out of a trade pact with South Korea, after a loud backlash from Congress, farmers and the US business community.

Speaking to reporters in Mexico City, Robert Lighthizer, the US trade representative, said he still hoped that the Korea-US deal which went into effect in 2012 could be renegotiated to help reduce the US trade deficit with Seoul. But he made clear that his focus was on continuing negotiations rather than pulling out of the pact.

“We have a negotiation where we would like some amendments to the Korean agreement,” Mr Lighthizer said in Mexico City at the culmination of the second round of talks on updating the North American Free Trade Agreement, another trade pact Mr Trump has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from.