Trump administration nearing deal with Mexico on revised NAFTA — but issues with Canada remain

The Virginia Pilot ^ | 08/16/2018 | Don Lee

[MaxistheBest]

The Trump administration is close to striking a deal with Mexico on a revamped North American Free Trade Agreement, analysts said, but thorny issues are yet to be resolved with Canada, the third party in the trilateral pact.

Reaching an agreement with Mexico would mark a breakthrough for the administration after a year of roller-coaster talks and tension with its longtime North American trading partners. President Trump has frequently threatened to withdraw from NAFTA, linked the renegotiations to his call for a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border and slapped tariffs on Mexican and Canadian steel to apply pressure to make concessions.

But both Mexico and the U.S. have strong incentives to push through a deal quickly. Mexico wants to lock in an agreement before its new leftist president takes office, and the White House is keen on achieving a win on trade ahead of the midterm elections.

Canada, meanwhile, has shown less urgency to complete a revision of the 24-year-old pact, but is expected to return to the bargaining table once the U.S. and Mexico settle their differences.

And then the question will be “whether Canada is finally willing to reengage in the process, sign off on what has been agreed and quickly resolve any key outstanding issues of concern to Canada,” said Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch.

Trump’s trade negotiators this week have been meeting with senior Mexican officials in Washington, and sources familiar with the discussions say the two sides have largely agreed to new rules on auto trade — that could boost investment in the U.S. and curb a flight of domestic production and jobs to Mexico.

Trudeau faces considerable domestic political pressure to stand up to Trump — unpopular in Canada .and his strong-arm tactics to extract trade concessions

[MaxistheBest]

— and his strong-arm tactics to extract trade concessions..... --------------------------------------------------------- The understanding with Mexico would raise the regional-content level to 70 percent or higher and set a similar rule of origin for steel and aluminum in vehicles. The new rules also would include language aimed at having more cars and parts produced by workers who make wages well above the average low rates in Mexico. The hope is that more jobs would stay in the U.S. and that European and Japanese automakers would source more parts in the U.S. to avoid the tariffs.

Lawyer Ujczo said those changes and a broader deal on NAFTA will play very well to Trump’s base. “It would be political gold going into the midterms,” he said.

[Paladin2]

Does this mean we are finally getting our free wall?

[ConservativeDude]

well....seems if Canada can’t get their crap together, we should just do a bilateral deal with Mexico.

[Freee-dame]

No matter what positive news there is about PDJT, the media must put a “but” in the headline to try to dilute it. Somehow this doesn’t happen for a Dem President or other official.

[Oatka]

well....seems if Canada can’t get their crap together, we should just do a bilateral deal with Mexico.

Dunno if it was a poster or a talking head, but I read here that rather than fixing NAFTA, and all the headaches that would entail, President Trump pulled a master stroke.

He's going after separate deals with each country, and letting NAFTA dry up and die on the vine.

Freaking brilliant.

[catnipman]

“we should just do a bilateral deal with Mexico.”

absolutely. and then do a bilateral deal with Canada, IF they want one ... either way, Mexico and Canada can then deal directly with each other ... this is all as it should be ...

[aquila48]

Bookmark

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

Everywhere, including Q-bec, other than the Maritimes, Turd-owe is down in the polls, with an election required on or before October 21, 2019. Most Canuckleheads realize what a stupid, juvenile little boy our 46 year old Prime Minister is. How does a childish, power hungry socialist try to raise his numbers? Insult PDJT and START A TRADE WAR AND BLAME IT ON THOSE NASTY ‘MURCANS, ESPECIALY TRUMP!

THAT is Dustbunny Turd-owe’s plan! The ‘brain trust’ behind our juvenile leader’s policies, figure that they can build support by ‘standing up’ to that ‘big, mean bully’, Donald Trump.

It matters not a whit that it will cost our economy a great deal, perhaps pushing us into a depression. After all, it is about the Lieberals maintaining control over the Canadian sheeple, definitely NOT about fixing our economy. THAT is why Turd-owe is doing nothing to resolve NAFTA.

It remains to be seen, if we are blind, spineless and brainless sheeple, or if we are bright enough to see through Turd-owe et al’s bull shite!

[max americana]

as a former Kanadian, I can attest about Kanadian inferiority complex...

ANY REPUBLICAN president...Kanadians HATE. Automatically. But regardless, Kanadians have always had an inferiority complex towards their bigger richer northern neighbor. It is what it is.

[Jeff Chandler]

Kanadians have always had an inferiority complex towards their bigger richer northern neighbor.

As well they should.

[ConservativeDude]

Righto.

Very different countries, also, Mexico and Canada....