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 …
Slight Majority of Americans Favor NAFTA
New findings from the Pew Research Center show 56 percent of Americans believe the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is good for the United States. Just one-third, 33 percent, of respondents to a Pew Research poll say the trade deal is bad for the United States. The study surveyed more than 1,500 adults at the end of October as …
Ross Alleges Special Interest, Like Agriculture, Making NAFTA Talks Harder
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross pointed a finger at special interest groups, including those in agriculture, as reason for hiccups in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiation. Ross earlier this week said the U.S. will “continue to take a hard line” on its proposals as talks get under way in Mexico City. Speaking at an event Tuesday, Ross said …
Congress Wants Input on NAFTA Withdraw, if it Happens
There are concerns that President Trump may pull the United States out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Wisconsin Third District Congressman Ron Kind says if that would happen, it would be the first time the U.S. has pulled out of a signed agreement. Kind believes that before a withdrawal happens, Congress should have some input on pulling …
NAFTA Talks Again Underway
Round five of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks are set to begin Friday (11/17/2017) in Mexico City. However, Politico points out that talks will unofficially begin Wednesday (11/14/2017). Much of the two-day prelude to the official talks are expected to focus on textiles, labor, cross-border trade and intellectual property. There’s little expectation of talks regarding agriculture, at …
Agriculture Watching NAFTA Talks Closely
The NAFTA renegotiations provide an opportunity to improve agricultural trade across partner countries. However, recent rhetoric and delays in the renegotiation are giving way to rising concerns over the trade deal’s future. Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst says U.S. agriculture depends on NAFTA. He says recent rhetoric regarding trade is troubling to farmers, especially after Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, …
House Ag Committee Leaders Call for NAFTA Conclusion
House Ag Committee leaders and a group of farm lobbyists are calling on the Trump Administration to not withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The Hagstrom Report says they’re also asking the White House to finish negotiations quickly to avoid potential declines in agricultural exports. Texas Republican and House Ag Committee Chair Michael Conaway and Minnesota Democrat …
Trump’s Aggressive Trade Strategy Both Defended and Criticized in Farm Circles
President Trump’s aggressive trade strategy of threatening to pull out of existing agreements without big concessions to the U.S. is being both defended and criticized in farm circles. President Trump is again taking a hard line with U.S. trading partners in Asia, after first dumping TPP and now threatening to ditch NAFTA. It’s a strategy that has many, especially in …
NAFTA Negotiators Extend Length of Next Round
A Bloomberg report says negotiators discussing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will begin next week’s round in Mexico City two days early. The goal is to give themselves more time to discuss a large number of issues surrounding the two-decade-old pact. Negotiators last met in Washington D.C., for the previous round of talks. Two officials close to the …