Non-Disclosure Agreements Signed Ahead of NAFTA Update Negotiations in September

Not much is being disclosed about these initial talks set to begin on September 1st. I can understand that all parties want to protect their interests ahead of these negotiations and plan on keeping whatever leverage they got secret until it needs to be played. I think it is a good thing that NAFTA is being renegotiated, and more people should be interested. From Mexican electronics and machinery to Canadian energy and agriculture, the US has lots to work with as far as potential for increasing our own market share of domestically produced goods.

Let us hope this bodes well for our manufacturing industry.

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The United States, Mexico and Canada signed non-disclosure agreements before the first round of negotiations to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Mexico’s Economy Ministry said on Friday.

Initial talks between Mexico, the United States and Canada to update NAFTA ended in Washington last weekend amid signs of deep division on key issues. Further discussions are due to start in Mexico City on Sept. 1.

One of the priorities is to reduce our trade deficit with our northern and southern neighbors, which may have already begun according to reports last month.

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 he would seek to reduce the trade imbalance by improving access for U.S. goods exported to Canada and Mexico under the three-nation pact.

A brief summary from Sunday after a wrap up of the negotiations in Washington.

Reuters (through the St. Louis Post Dispatch)
“While a great deal of effort and negotiation will be required in the coming months, Canada, Mexico and the United States are committed to an accelerated and comprehensive negotiation process that will upgrade our agreement,” the officials said. One person directly involved in the talks described the schedule as exceedingly fast, given that past trade deals took years to negotiate. The three countries are trying to complete a full modernization of the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement by early 2018, before Mexico’s national election campaign starts.

The joint statement said the three countries had made “detailed conceptual presentations” across the scope of NAFTA issues and had begun work to negotiate some of the agreement’s texts, although it did not provide details on the topics. Negotiating teams “agreed to provide additional text, comments or alternative proposals during the next two weeks” ahead of the Mexico round.

That is wonderful news. Helps me feel a little better about the NDA if they actually do grant us some public details.

Not all cards were put on the table, the source added, saying that during four four-hour sessions on rules of origin, the United States did not reveal its proposed targets for boosting North American and U.S. content for the automotive sector.

Lighthizer had made clear that strengthening rules of origin for autos — the biggest source of U.S. trade deficits — was one of his top priorities.

Good, we should focus on that more since this industry more than others has been negatively effected.

But the United States did reveal extensive texts governing cross-border data flows and e-commerce, said Kenneth Propp, the trade policy director for BSA-The Software Alliance, a group on USTR’s trade advisory committee.

The NAFTA countries already had made broad agreements guaranteeing cross-border data flows and other digital trade as part of the now-defunct Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.

“Our sense is that there should be a lot of commonality as a starting point on this subject,” Propp said.

Well I suppose those agreements will have to be re-visited since we killed the TPP on day one. Although I admit I do not understand much of what cross-border data flows and digital trade could mean other than e-commerce.

So all in all, another one of the elected President's promises is being fulfilled. He said he would renegotiate NAFTA, and that is EXACTLY what is happening. Congratulations to that I say. MAGA!!!

"" Non-Disclosure Agreements Signed ""

So this means we can expect an onslaught of "anonymous" leaks and sources.

Secrecy is the enemy. It allows the enemy to hide in plain sight, with full rights and no oversight. The enemy is not always foreign....

June 24, 2018

What's going on here? The head Canadian NAFTA negotiator says (without realizing that cameras were rolling) that there are no negotiations occurring.

Whoopsie – During a debriefing session between Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, Canadian politicians and business leaders, the chief NAFTA negotiator for Canada Steve Verheul accidentally told the group, while cameras were rolling, there were no actual NAFTA negotiations taking place.

Source: theconservativetreehouse.com... tiations-taking-place/

a reply to: carewemust

Nobody is getting along, all sides are digging in, and I think I heard Mexico's coming election is another possible reason.
Can't find much in the news at all, this is just what I've heard through tv news.

a reply to: carewemust

V Ery curious. I wonder if this points to business as usual, or will trade deals be cancelled across the board??