NAFTA/TRADE DEALS: “President Donald Trump on Monday [3-5-18] increased pressure on two top U.S. trading partners, saying he would lift planned tariffs on steel imports only if Mexico and Canada sign a new version of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or Nafta… The broad duties on steel and aluminum that Mr. Trump announced on Thursday haven’t been imposed yet, and senior officials said Sunday they don’t expect key partner countries such as Canada and Mexico to be excluded. Those two countries and others were exempted when former President George W. Bush imposed broad steel tariffs in 2002.
The president’s latest comments are part of an effort to put pressure on Canada and Mexico to agree on a renegotiated form of the free-trade agreement, which took effect in 1994 and eliminated tariffs among the three countries. Mr. Trump also criticized Canadian agricultural policy on Monday, saying the nation ‘must treat our farmers much better. Highly restrictive.’
U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer was set to meet his counterparts from Mexico and Canada on Monday as the latest round of Nafta talks, in Mexico City, comes to an end.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly said he would pull the U.S. out of Nafta if the partner countries don’t agree on a new version with mechanisms designed to balance trade in the bloc.”
-William Maudlin, “Trump Links Planned Steel Tariffs to Nafta Renegotiation Effort,” The Wall Street Journal online, Mar. 5, 2018 09:10am