4/11/2018

CANADA/MEXICO/NAFTA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is pushing to reach a deal on the North American Free Trade Agreement by the beginning of May. But the timeline could be complicated by its refusal to budge from contentious proposals aimed at bringing manufacturing back to the United States. The administration has not significantly softened its position on rules that automakers would need to meet to qualify for zero tariffs under Nafta, according to a summary of the American proposal reviewed by The New York Times. While the administration has removed a requirement about the percentage of a car that must be made in the United States, it has added other rules that North American automakers say could be costly and complicated to meet. The proposal is throwing a wrinkle into recently revived talks with Canada and Mexico, which had begun to show signs of movement after months of stalled negotiations. But after high-level talks concluded last week, officials on both sides see the administration’s goal of announcing a deal in principle as early as this week as too ambitious. Some in the administration had been pushing for an announcement to coincide with the president’s trip to Peru this weekend to attend the Summit of the Americas, where President Trump was expected to appear alongside leaders from Canada and Mexico.”

-Ana Swanson, “U.S. Seeks Quick Nafta Deal, but Allies Balk as It Gives Little Ground,” The New York Times online, April 11, 2018