The fifth round of talks on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) ended on Tuesday with the New York Times calling the discussions “bogged down.” While the U.S. has tried to cool down tensions between negotiators by extending the deadline to finish the discussions, tensions are said to still be simmering. The U.S. also asked the top negotiators to …
New TPP Agreement Heightens Concerns
The 11 remaining members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) recently announced plans to move forward with a modified trade agreement. And according to a story from Joe Schuele with the U.S. Meat Export Federation, the new agreement heightens concerns about market access for U.S. beef and pork in Japan.
Agriculture Among NAFTA Topics on Final Day
The fifth round of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations wrapped up Tuesday. A Politico report describes the talks as relatively quiet. Canadian negotiators haven’t been making many counteroffers to U.S. proposals. Instead, they’re using closed-door meetings to challenge American proposals with data and to ask for explanations of why the U.S. feels the need for certain things to …
Senators Want Commerce Secretary to Analyze NAFTA Withdrawal Cost
A bipartisan group of Senators sent a letter this week to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, asking the administration to collect a “robust economic analysis” to evaluate how changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) would affect agriculture. The letter says, “It’s imperative that before any changes are made to NAFTA or any other free trade agreement, that economic …
Pro-Trade Republicans Unhappy with U.S. NAFTA Positions
Pro-trade Republicans are increasingly worried that the Trump Administration will pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) , rather than negotiate a deal that keeps core benefits intact. As the fifth round of talks winds up on Tuesday, Pennsylvania Republican Charlie Dent says, “I think the administration is playing a dangerous game with the sunset provision.” He …
Fifth Round of NAFTA Talks Moving Slowly
The fifth round of negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) got off to a slow start and continue to move slowly this week. A source tells CBC dot com that negotiators have talked through a dozen topics but there hasn’t been much movement. However, that same source also says while progress has been slow, there haven’t been …
NAFTA Negotiators Focusing on Cars and Finances
Agriculture will not be a big focus in the current round of talks on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Bloomberg says negotiators will focus this round on regional content rules for products like cars, as well as financial services. One of the most contentious proposals from the U.S. deals with rules-of-origin for cars. Those rules determine how much …
U.S. Chamber Says NAFTA Withdrawal Will Hurt States
Michigan, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Texas, and Missouri could all suffer the most severe hits to their economies if President Trump decides to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Politico says the U.S. Chamber of Commerce listed 12 states that it says will be hit hardest by NAFTA withdrawal. John Murphy, senior vice president of international policy …
Senator Urging Farmers to Stand Up for NAFTA
Republican Senator Jerry Moran penned an open letter to farmers and ranchers this week asking them to “do more” regarding concerns surrounding the North American Free Trade Agreement. The letter urges farmers, farm groups, and others, to “raise their concerns” with President Trump. He challenged the industry to do so via op-eds, letters, social media campaigns, and other venues about …
Ag Coalition Stressing Importance of NAFTA
A coalition of agriculture groups is stressing the importance of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to state governors. The coalition representing more than 100 agriculture groups is asking the governors to let President Trump know that they “support a modernized NAFTA that maintains and enhances food and agricultural trade,” according to the Hagstrom Report. The letter comes as …