Reading Time: 3 minutes Washington | Reuters — Trade negotiators from the U.S. and Canada accused each other of sabotaging attempts to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement on Tuesday, even as they and Mexico agreed to extend talks into 2018. A round of talks in Washington that lasted seven days failed to find the most basic common […] Read more
NAFTA negotiators trade barbs, agree on extension
Tough U.S. NAFTA demands send ball back into lobbyists’ court
Reading Time: 3 minutes Arlington, Va. | Reuters — Lobbying efforts on the North American Free Trade Agreement faced a major test this week after the Trump administration ignored advice from U.S. business groups and pitched proposals to radically reshape NAFTA, leaving its future in doubt. The U.S. demands to force renegotiation of NAFTA every five years and reserve […] Read more
U.S. hikes NAFTA tension with call for ‘sunset clause’
Reading Time: 3 minutes Arlington, Va. | Reuters — Washington has dramatically increased tensions in talks to renew the North American Free Trade Agreement by proposing that the lifespan of any new deal be limited to five years, people familiar with the negotiations said on Thursday. The proposal for a so-called sunset clause — just one of a series […] Read more
U.S. wants NAFTA five-year sunset provision
Reading Time: < 1 minute Washington | Reuters — U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Thursday that the United States was seeking to add a five-year sunset provision to the North American Free Trade Agreement to provide a regular, “systematic re-examination” of the trade pact. Ross told a forum hosted by Politico that both he and U.S. Trade Representative Robert […] Read more
NAFTA ministers claim progress in talks
Reading Time: 3 minutes Mexico City | Reuters — Trade Ministers from Canada, Mexico and the United States on Tuesday said they made progress in weekend talks to update the NAFTA trade pact, consolidating language for some proposals and reaffirming their commitment to complete negotiations toward the end of 2017. A trilateral statement issued by U.S. Trade Representative Robert […] Read more
U.S. makes lower trade deficit priority in NAFTA talks
Reading Time: 3 minutes Washington | Reuters — The United States on Monday launched the first salvo in the renegotiation of the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), saying its top priority for the talks was shrinking the U.S. trade deficit with Canada and Mexico. In a much-anticipated document sent to lawmakers, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said […] Read more
Trump administration triggers launch of NAFTA renegotiations
Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters — The Trump administration on Thursday formally launched its effort to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico to try to win better terms for U.S. workers and manufacturers. With a letter to U.S. lawmakers, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said he triggered a 90-day consultation period with […] Read more
Trump’s trade nominee pledges tough enforcement
Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump’s choice for the top trade negotiator on Tuesday pledged an “America First” strategy to aggressively enforce U.S. laws and trade deals to stop unfair imports and push China to scrap excess factory capacity. Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. Trade Representative nominee, told senators at his confirmation hearing that […] Read more
U.S. Commerce chief sees no major NAFTA talks until later this year
Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters — U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Wednesday that substantial negotiations to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement likely will not get started until the latter part of this year and could take a year to complete. Ross, speaking to Bloomberg Television, said U.S. legal notification requirements with partners Mexico and […] Read more
U.S. challenges Chinese wheat, corn, rice price supports at WTO
Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters — The United States on Tuesday launched a challenge to China’s price supports for domestic production of rice, wheat and corn at the World Trade Organization, charging that these far exceed limits that China committed to when it joined the WTO in 2001. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office said China’s “market price […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
