NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The Trump administration on Wednesday [7-19-17] tapped a veteran trade official involved in the original North American Free Trade Agreement to lead new talks with Canada and Mexico on an overhaul of the agreement starting next month.
John Melle, the current assistant U.S. trade representative for the Western Hemisphere, will serve as chief negotiator for the Nafta talks, U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer announced Wednesday. The first round of negotiations is scheduled for Aug. 16-20 in Washington.
Mr. Melle is expected to lead a team that works with foreign counterparts to hash out the technical details on the revised trade agreement and look for solutions at the staff level that he can bring back to senior U.S. officials.
Trade negotiators don’t aim to push their own policy positions during talks with other countries but instead work with U.S. government agencies and elected officials to secure what officials agree is the best deal for the country.
Congress has given Mr. Lighthizer authority to take the lead on trade talks under trade law, but Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and President Donald Trump himself will also likely play a role.”
-William Mauldin and Paul Vieira, “Veteran U.S. Official to Lead Nafta Talks,” The Wall Street Journal online, July 19, 2017 04:22pm