U.S. 'very close' to proceeding with Mexico-only trade deal: Trump adviser

[DonViejo]

Source: Reuters



SEPTEMBER 21, 2018 / 9:59 AM / UPDATED 2 HOURS AGEO

Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is getting “very, very close” to having to move forward on its trade deal with Mexico without Canada, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Friday.

There is just over a week to go before an Oct. 1 deadline to publish the text of a deal to update the North American Free Trade Agreement, and the United States and Canada have still not agreed on terms, Hassett told Fox News Channel.

“We’re still talking to Canada, and we’re getting very, very close to the deadline where we’re going to have to move ahead with Mexico all by themselves,” said Hassett, who chairs the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

“I’m a little surprised that the Canadians haven’t signed up yet,” Hassett added. “I worry that politics in Canada is trumping common sense because there’s a very good deal that was designed by Mexico and the U.S. to appeal to Canada. And they’re not signing up and it’s got everybody over here a little bit puzzled.”

Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland left Washington on Thursday after two days of bilateral talks with the United States failed to achieve a breakthrough. Access to Canada’s dairy market, trade dispute settlement panels and U.S. demands for the ability to impose auto tariffs on its northern neighbor remain sticking points.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-trade-nafta/u-s-very-close-to-proceeding-with-mexico-only-trade-deal-trump-adviser-idUSKCN1M11SH

[lamp_shade]

1. Will Mexico insist on inclusion of Canada in the agreement? I wonder. nt

[Turbineguy]

2. So trump is to get some vig

on illicit drug imports?

[LiberalLovinLug]

3. BS. Its a bluff

So the US is going to sign an agreement with only Mexico? And between an outgoing Mexican President doing it for his own political reasons to shut out the incoming more left President, and a US President with 35% approval and under serious investigation. Good luck with that.


The NAFTA deal in place, means that Canada would have to be in agreement with that move. That or a whole bunch of painful almost impossible complicated disentanglements that Congress would never approve of.


https://www.macleans.ca/politics/can-trump-shut-out-canada-and-cut-a-trade-deal-with-just-mexico/


"But Trump’s trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, told reporters in Washington that the administration plans to push ahead with a U.S.-Mexico agreement, leaving Canada the option of joining in later. Herman questioned how that approach could possibly be seen as falling within Trump’s authority to modernize NAFTA. “To change objectives and negotiate a bilateral deal with Mexico means that he would have to terminate the NAFTA, because the NAFTA binds all three countries,” Herman said.

“He has to give six months’ notice of his intention to withdraw from the treaty, and he’d have to get congressional approval. Congress approved the NAFTA; they would have to approve U.S. withdrawal, and change a whole slew of U.S. laws that implement the trilateral agreement. He’s never going to get that from the Congress.”

[NickB79]

4. Bingo. Leaving out Canada would fuck a bunch of northern state economies

And plenty of them have a lot of vulnerable GOP reps.