Has the NY Times ever analyzed the word length in the comment section between Trump antagonists and his supporters? Anecdotally, a lot of people who criticize the President seem to be capable of coherent logical fleshed out arguments, or possess significant knowledge of the subject matter, and could arguably write some of the Times stories. Whereas Trump supporters seem to have simpler, shorter arguments. I would like to congratulate Trump supporters for reading a story in the NY Times, even if they don't agree, and I would encourage them to continue their search for the truth in a broad way. I would encourage them to work on the complexity and depth of their thinking in service to democracy. Our country will long have the political divisions we have had since our founding. We the people are the shareholders in this experiment and we should avail ourselves of the benefits of the 1st amendment to the Constitution to become as educated as we can on the issues of the day to make our country great, someday. I had not read much on the trade negotiation story until a conservative friend published a story emphasizing one of the Mexican negotiator's fawning words for Mr. Trump in a right wing "news" site started by Laura Ingraham. My reaction was, smart negotiators playing to the President's weakness, that the whole universe revolves around him. I came to the NY Times to get more information besides Trump bootlicking, which was the extent of the other article.
1
When/if all the details of this "deal" become known, we will see an agreement with more holes in it than my kitchen colander. Trump is setting us up for another heavy dose of midterms puffery, at which of course Trump excels.
No point in rushing an agreement.
The new Mexican government is likely to blow up any new treaty if it is less favorable to Mexico.
The reasons for maintaining stable trade with Canada are just as valid today as they were a year ago when NAFTA nonsense began.
-Canada is the only large trading partner America has where trade is already balanced both ways.
- Canada and America do over $3,000,000,000 in trade every single DAY.
- Canada doesn't "take" American jobs, it loses Canadian jobs to America and Mexico.
-Canada buys twice as much American dairy products as it sells to America. Canadian dairy farms don't get cash subsidies.
- Canada buys nearly twice as much steel from America than it sells to America. ?So why a tariff on Canadian steel?
Please don't say Canada is a security risk to America!
Canada sent over 40,000 troops to Afghanistan solely because America invoked NATO article V. Hundreds of Canadians were killed and thousands injured.
We would deploy again if America asked again, but STOP with the Canada is a security risk nonsense.
Friends don't treat their friends like that.
9
Sometimes we are left wondering if the remedy is worse than the poison.
Trump has been negotiating with the contractors, the unions, the mafia (redundant?), the socialist republic of NYC, the entertainment networks and his wives for over 40 years. What are heads of state? Pushovers.
Trumpo has achieved nothing with his so called deal with Mexico.
Mexico has joined the growing band of countries who have worked him like a puppy dog and pegged his sorry orange face to a longer deal in their favour
They give a tiny bit away and gain massive amounts more.
It sounds good to his supporters but sadly from the comments here, they too are taken in by "reality" tv.
His swagger and baloney has a price.
Trump the welcher.
Trump the feckless.
Trump who dishonours the brave men and women who fight, suffer torture and die to uphold the true principles of America.
He abuses his allies then calls on them to support his cause.
Get real Trumpo.
Nobody trusts a welcher.
No deal with the Donald is worth a fig.
I would support Canada calling him out for his illegal threats unless they too want to run rings around him.
4
From what I've read, this article is not accurate. Trump and Mexico have reached an agreement on how to move forward to discuss making changes to NAFTA. Not a new treaty, not a new trade agreement. Just Trump trumpeting.
2
The agreement states that "75% of all cars must be made in North America, etc". It appears that the US negotiators as well as Mr. Trump forgot that Canada is part of "North America". So, why should Canada sign or come on board this agreement if it is already included? They can be part of it without having to suffer any penalties if they do not comply since they have not signed on! But they can insist that they are a part of it since they are part of "North America". It looks like a perfect "deal" for Canada!
As usual, there's nothing to see here. Trump can't change NAFTA without Congress' approval, and that's not going to happen. How do you think it's going to play when voters in Congress' districts wake up and realize that what Trump is proposing will raise the price of cars sold in the U.S.?
This is all just a big nothingburger.
2
"Mr. Trump has personally berated Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada as “very dishonest and weak” and accused him of “false statements”"
Given Mr. Trump's track record with false statements, I find it disturbing that he should make a blanket statement that Prime Minister Trudeau is dishonest. Where's the proof? Has Mr. Trump no sense of decency, let alone diplomacy?
3
Why are lawmakers confused about Trump doing this....or anything for that matter....but given leaving Canada out of it being the instance cast, this!
Hurry hurry hurry, don't think just do as you're told....and do it MY WAY!
He's saying it because IT'S PERSONAL! Trump despises Trudeau! Why...who knows? Likely because Trudeau is young, good looking, personable, appreciated, intelligent and thoughtful....all of which Trump isn't! Oh yeah, and because Trudeau is a patriotic operative who works toward the best interests of his country while our always lovely venal Trump is the narcissistic antithesis of Trudeau.
Why so confused, Congress! It's all just vintage, if long-gone-to-vinegar, Trump.
1
Am I following this correctly?
Trump announced that he single-handedly de-nuclearized Canada? All that freed up steel is now the basis for a new trade deal, bilateral of course, between Mexico and Canada, as Mexico plans to buy the steel, build military equipment and hold a big parade for Trump.
Canada, please be patient with us. Maybe you are wondering what's in all this for you. Our stable genius has got this! You'll get a parade, too! Then you will be "great" again!
Based on the last year-and-a-half of Trump policy-making, this is my understanding. It's, also, based on that period, very likely that none of this will happen. That's the "genius" of the plan, too. The important thing is, he'll get a parade- if only in his own mind.
My plan is for a parade, too. When Trump is done- one way or the other (because we're tired of all this winning), my plan is to invite all of Canada to a ticker-tape parade! We'll invite Mexico, too. Trade crazy-stuff-Trump-said-stories, as part of a trilateral deal.
That's my best understanding, based on our recent history, on how this will all play out.
2
@kfm
"... on how this will play out."
Or not.
This Keystone Cops administration is at it again.
2
Winner - Mexico
Loser - US Consumer
Losers trumps base
They’ll need to be nuclearized before they wake up by then it won’t matter
"Trump does something stupid; for some reason people are still surprised by this."
Which stupid thing and how stupid it is this time varies, but every day it's the same thing. When will the GOP finally be able to accept their failed white nationalist president is relying solely on his hatred of brown people as a measure of "success?"
1
Anything new about the Border Wall?
1
As usual, there's nothing to see here. Trump can't change NAFTA without Congress' approval, and that's not going to happen. How do you think it's gong to play when voter's in members of Congress districts wake p and realize that what Trump is proposing will raise the price of cars sold in the U.S.?
This is all just a big nothingburger.
The President wins again!
This ignorant manchild states that trade with Mexico is much bigger than trade with Canada, whereas Canadian trade exceeds Mexican trade by about $56 billion a year. He can’t even bother with the simplest facts of reality. But that’s not the point – riling up his base is the point and he is a master of that.
4
U til they lose their job
Or have to pay 25% more for a car. Or......
It sounds like this is NAFTA with a bit of sugar in the tank for auto industry workers and with Canada going from partnership to getting an “art of the deal” kneecapping.
“'I recognize your political will,' Mr. Peña Nieto said, 'and your participation in this.'" Translation: Hey, if in your desperation not to lose your Republican cover this November you don't hurt Mexico, go ahead and draft the documents, mal hombre.
3
Another mindless, punitive slap in the face to Canada and Trudeau - whose got my truth, decorum, and tact in his little finger than this trade maven.
2
I'm from downtown Toronto. Most of my family is very unhappy with Trudeau (sound familar) and respect Trump. Ontario won a majority PC government a few months back, Liberal party is now at non-party status. Trump has more respect here than Trudeau North of the Border. If we had someone even 20% like Trump for the PC federal election, easy win.
1
Not sure where you are getting this nonsense. I too live in Toronto. Trump is vilified on a daily basis. Unless you of course read The Toronto Sun Tabloid which is equivalent to Fox News. Our new “populist” government in Ontario is already proving to be a disaster. I will always vote Liberal. Decency and respect for facts.
5
Just say the word and we would be very happy to send Trump up to you. And that would be without a trade agreement requirement.
1
Another fine case of inaccurate reporting, I think. I'm coming to believe I can't believe anything I read in WaPo, not because it is fake news but because they don't always have their facts straight. For example, I read conflicting reports simultaneously about whether Trump can or cannot change trade agreements
"The two countries agreed to a review of the trade pact every six years that would extend its lifetime for 16 more years, officials said."
this makes no sense. didn't they agree to review the pact in 6 years, and if acceptable, extend it for ten more years?
2
I have read that there's a significant issue of material quality when U.S. manufacturers are forced to buy domestic aluminum and steel for certain applications. Is that so and what is the administration doing, in conjunction with this modification of NAFTA, to mitigate any degradation of the quality of our products?
1
Just as an asside to inform the public about these terrible imported Canadian cars. Who owns these plants like the Windsor Assembly pant and the Hamilton, Ontario Plant. I believe GM and Ford. Parts from these cars come from all over the world from secondary, tertiary and quaternary suppliers. Fun Fact: a Maserati has the same screen and Nav system as a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
By the way workers form both the US and Canada work at these plants, try to cross the border at the bridge or tunnels in Detroit at shift change times.
Oh by the way way, I just saw a statistic that the highest North American sontent car is the Jeep Cherokee at approximately 73 percent. That figure includes the US, Mexico and Canada.
I'll make a bet that the leaders of this trade negotiation don't know or dont understand supply trains and auto content.
1
There is nothing to be confused about. Trump is deliberately trying to drive wedges between the United States and its closest and oldest allies. This is designed to weaken western democracy, for the benefit of Russia.
4
It may have confused Congress, but it didn’t confuse investors.
Like the ones who invested in mortgage backed securities and Enron right?
1
Nobody buys more American products than Canada. Nobody. We even import more of your government subsidized dairy products than we export to you of our non-subsidized dairy products. We hugely depend on the US market to export our products, to a very unhealthy degree. We have allowed our commercial sector to be hollowed out and bought up by foreign (mostly US) companies to an incredible extent. Boy, are we OPEN for business. So if Mr. Trump's anti-Canadian animus and ugly comments succeed in making it impossible for our Prime Minister to accept humiliating terms of agreement (e.g. no objective mechanism for dispute settlement), then there could be substantial long term benefits for Canada in pulling more away from the United States. I'd just like to block Fox News from being broadcast in Canada because the sickness of their unreality is also poisoning our politics.
8
"The president’s apparent willingness to move on without Canada prompted confusion and concern among lawmakers — who said it may not be legally permissible, let alone smart"
Everything President Trump does prompts confusion and concern among lawmakers.
2
"Trump should stop insulting our regional friends the Mexicans and Canadians and look for a better trade deal that would help all three countries."
Don Trumpioni thinks he's making offers US allies can't refuse. Insults are his godfather impersonation--they get applause from his base-base.
3
Large parts of the U.S. are dependent on Canadian hydro-electricity. Time to throw some switches. The North American auto industry has been integrated since the Autopact of 65.
My dad got his degree in industrial engineering from the General Motors Institute of Technology. The expertise proved so critical that he wasn't allowed to serve in his reserve regiment but was sent to the west coast to build a naval industry from scratch using GM manufacturing techniques.
Trump seems incapable of accepting a simple fact: The U.S. runs a TRADE SURPLUS with Canada, negating his entire argument. Maybe Trump is upset that the Canadian suppliers remain strongly unionized. He shouldn't be. Strong unions make a strong economy. German manufacturing thrives with wages of $50/hr.
But the American klepto-plutocrats get their kicks abusing workers as they build towards a society where 60 million prosper while 270 million stagnate, wages dropping drip by drip as the rich grab everything.
Canada should look to Asia and Europe for trade partners. They are sane.
7
I don't believe anything trump says about what was said between him and the President of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, without first talking to Mr Peña Nieto first. trump has the tendency to exaggerate or put words (lies) in Mr Peña Nieto's mouth. If I don't hear it from the President of Mexico himself, I won't believe it.
2
Up here, in the ‘Great White North’, I believe we have been able to maintain a modicum of civility and fairness and flexibility in both our national and international relationships. We have been the recipient of your president’s scorn and mendacity since he took office – his regular scapegoat of choice. Here are the facts on trade, from the website of the Office of the United States Trade Representative, Executive Office of the President (https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/americas/canada):
Canada was the United States' largest goods export market in 2017.
Canada was the United States' 3rd largest supplier of goods imports in 2017.
The U.S. goods trade deficit with Canada was $17.1 billion in 2017, a 54.4% increase ($6.0 billion) over 2016.
The United States has a services trade surplus of an estimated $25 billion with Canada in 2017, up 5.9% from 2016.
Not only that, but the USTR adds $75 billion of pass-through goods (goods that merely pass through Canada, eg., a Chinese washing machine that passes through the Port of Vancouver) to the real Canadian export numbers. Math was never my forte, but as far as I can make out, this means the US is up $7.9 billion in trade with Canada – even discounting the value of those pass-through goods. Thumbing your nose at and being disdainful of your largest trading partner is a pretty punk move.
As Chrystia Freeland, our Minister of Foreign Affairs, formerly Minister of International Trade, would say: ”Seriously”?
2
Chrystia Freeland our chief NAFTA negotiator and Minister of Global Affairs will be in Washington this week. She entered politics in 2014 the same year she published Plutocrats:The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else. She knows Putin and she knows Manafort and she knows Canada's precarious economic position. I am not a Liberal but I trust Freeland and Trudeau to make the right decisions to ameliorate the short term economic disaster that we are threatened with and the need to extricate us for our unfortunate reliance on a country that can no longer be trusted. We elected Mulroney and Harper and we are responsible for this predicament. Short term economic gain has given us one of the highest standards of living in the world and now the Piper has come for his pay and he wants our soul.
2
As with everything Mr. Trump, the devil is not in the details (they never are), but what he decides to trumpet (usually unsupported by those pesky details) and far from reality. But never mind, the base loves it and will see it as another victory on the road to MAGA. My hope - never to be realised of course, is that maybe, just maybe, like Dorothy in Oz, one of them will take a peek behind the curtain . . .
3
Am I the only one who wonders if some of Trump's antipathy towards Canada is because its foreign minister is not only a brilliant woman, but a Russian scholar of Ukrainian descent?
3
The U.S. economy dwarfs all others. Given this, I wonder why past leaders all the way back to Clinton weren't willing to use extortion like Trump has as a negotiating tactic.
2
Trump's dealings sound less like trade negotiation and more like extortion.
3
It is "President Trump" not "Mr. Trump". Try and hide your bias a little better.
A "revised" NAFTA is exactly what he was trying to accomplish. You act like revising a trade agreement is no big deal, then list 4 huge sectors that changes were made to (digital economy, automobiles, agriculture and labor unions). The renegotiation of NAFTA was a success for Mexico and for the US.
Your headline is annoying negative for such an accomplishment. Canada has chosen to remain out of negotiations until very recently. Why would the US and Mexico wait on them? You focus your headline on something so insignificant its laughable.
If you have to mention Canada in the headline, maybe say "Leaving Canada out of New NAFTA brings them to the table"
1
@Cameron, don’t get your knickers into a knot. The article referred to him as President Trump initially, then as Mr. Trump. This is a convention that has been in place for many years – you’ve just not been paying attention. NPR, for example, also routinely refers to the president with the Mr. honorific on second reference. Other mere mortals are initially called Mr./Ms. and only by their last name on second reference.
There is nothing wrong with re-visiting a decades old pact. The issue at hand is how MR. Trump and his staff have handled the whole thing. Insults do not make for happy negotiators. Several months ago Mr. Trump asked our Prime Minister: “Didn’t you guys burn down the White House?” It was the British, BTW. And yes, we can take a joke – our comedians are world renowned.
The looming trade war is a result of Mr. Trump’s protectionist moves. The Trump administration used an old trade law from 1962 to justify the tariffs on steel and aluminum as a national security issue, setting the current mess into motion. Believe it or not, Cameron, everyone wants a good deal for their countries, the US is not unique in that. Just because you have 10 times our population and industry does not mean it is right for him to play the role of the ‘Ugly American’ as Vanity Fair called him in 2016. His bullying tactics are disgusting.
1
Remember when “Blame Canada” was an absurd joke in the South Park movie? Who could ever have a problem with Canada? Our stable genius found a way.
6
The Orange One does not understand international negotiations any more than he understands the office he currently occupies. He appears to be "winging it" in almost everything he does and says. God help us all.
4
When 911 happened - our troops were on the ground in support the next day in support of our neighbor. We took in many many planes and people on our soil - and did our best to support our dear neighbours.
We lost our own citizens in the twin towers. We lost many soldiers in a war where we weren't personally threatened. And we spent many many billions of dollars, 100s of lives lost, 1000s injured (proportionally we are 1/10th the size of US)
We stood with America despite the cost.
I'm really disappointed that you Americans continue to support your leaders antagonistic and bullying behaviour towards us Canadians.
I will not forget this for the foreseable future - I must say that my love for America is now diminished at the lack of civility. You Americans have little idea of the resolve and belief we Canadians have in our country - we will NOT forget this and we will not be bullied.
We've lost so many jobs to America of the past decades, seen so many American companies buy our local companies and then close them down - which we stomached for the bigger picture, as it was within the rules of a shared agreement. When we sign an agreement - we honour it. We don't whine and insult and moan about it.
You have a president who is surrounded by crooks - acts like a mobster and clearly has lied so many times he doesn't even understand what the truth is anymore.
You can forget asking us to the dinner once the food has already been served.
33
@Bill HI. A lot of what you speak is true. He is kind of a bully at times. After the last guy, who wanted to get along with Putin and Castro more than he wanted to get along with us (US), we needed that.
However, I hope Canada comes on board with any agreement that suits ALL our needs. It's a give and a take, and NAFTA has left us giving since its' inception.
My boss spent a few days in Toronto after 911, and we all, I hope THANK you guys for helping out in so many ways. Our leaders don't have to agree so much, as long as we do. I have many friends in Winnepeg, (I live in North Dakota) and I don't want any strain on our relationship that isn't necessary. Changing a decades old trade agreement, made during the AmericaOnline days, needs to be fixed, and bring our economies more in tune with each other.
Also, what is going to hurt if auto makers have to pay a Mexican $16? Those poor people, (the ones actually looking for work), don't have much choice than to sneak into the US, but, just like our border with you, a lot of drugs cross the border, probably both directions.
Thanks for being our neighbor.
@Bill
Bill,
Please don't blame the American people for what Trump says and does. Many of us cringe every day when we hear about his latest antic or worse. Hopefully he won't get away with a bilateral agreement; much as he likes to think he is all-powerful and can do as he pleases he will probably need congress in this case.
1
@Bill Interesting thing about 911 - the US would not let all these hundreds of planes into their airspace because it was suspected ther could be more suicide bombing missions among them. So these planes got redirected to small out of the way airports in Canada. Still, there could have been mayhem in small Canadian cities but that wasn't a consideration. Americans were quite right to be most grateful for what was done, and to their credit they showed it - back then.
1
What I don't see are a lot of comments on the details of the agreement...But from what I read, the main takeaway is that cars sold here are going to be more expensive because of the increased restrictions on content as well as what I perceive to be a 'bribe' to labor unions in this country on wages and labor restrictions in Mex. So these aren't major changes, and don't appear to be very helpful in substance either. I hope something can be negotiated with our friends in Canada or the entire thing will be very bad for our economy...and/or that congress won't pass something stupid like a bilateral deal.
7
@Dc Agreed. But the old agreement is antiquated and obsolete. It left us giving from the start, and most farmers were against it after they understood it. Mexicans have a right to a fair wage also, so I'm proud that we are putting our foot down and saying, in a good way, if want to play, you gotta pay ($16). Car prices may go up, but it may help stem a lot of illegals, unfortunately the good ones from coming to the US. The bad ones don't come here for our weather.
@Dc
Moreover, it was a transparent effort to let the child king re-name NAFTA and claim a huge win.
May Gods and The Goddess save us.
Note bubba
More crime per capita committed by legal us white citizens
Why not an agreement to keep them out of the USA?
Some never learn, this is typical of the style of Trump, and if I was honest me. I care about getting the deal I desire, and almost nothing else. That they continually are reported as confused and concerned shows that it is either "fake news" or they are very incompetent. Or both!!
2
And so this is how you treat your friends and neighbours!
8
@Majortrout Correction: This is how OUR POTUS treats our friends and neighbors. About 70% of this country is appalled with Trump's tactics.
3
@Majortrout define "you"....
As always, Trump speaks only to convey a twisted reality that enthralls his base. The rest of us are free to rage and mock, and to watch this disaster crash down on all our heads.
12
"while keeping new vehicles affordable for more Americans.”
That would seem to be a patently absurd statement, and, of course, depends on just whose definition of "affordable" we're supposed to "buy into".
The new vehicles will be more expensive. That will hurt consumers. This is inflation, borne from "negotiation", not from the market, but from market manipulation.
5
Mr. Trump is on record for committing two felonies involving financial indiscretions.
When is the Republican Congress going to fulfill their Constitutional responsibilities to debate and vote on American trade agreements?
9
President Trump will NOT include Canada in the new NAFTA. He wants to be rid of Trudeau and will pile on the tariffs to induce suffering in Canada.
9
Two parties have reached an accord to revise a three party agreement without the consent of the third party?
Makes perfect sense to me.
16
@James:
Yes . . . (only) in Trumpworld it does . . .
Covfefe comes to mind.
Our ersatz Presidency: sad.
Bigly sad.
I don't understand how these negotiations can lead to anything solid. Canada - take trumps lead and say whatever it takes to call or a win, don't follow through and then back out of the deal whenever it suits you. Doesn't matter if you lie, cheat or bully. Not when dealing with the USA anymore...
9
We don't want to be too generous to Mexico. After all, if the Mexican economy improved too much, Mexican laborers would stop coming into the US, and then who would pick our crops, and work in Trump hotels?
11
Trump honors McCain family but not John. Trump has new trade deal with Mexico but not Canada. See the pattern? Silly. little man.
22
@Michael "Petty" is the operative word.
Trump not only showed us, in that moment, in the oval office, how embarrassing he is for the US but also how incompetent he is about law and policy. NAFTA is a 3-way deal. No deal without Canada. It was a big show off to get attention from the event of John McCain's death. Insufferable president.
Trump has no credibility as a "deal-maker".
His "deal" with North Korea - a complete failure;
his "deal" with China (from May) - in ruins;
no prospect of making a deal with NAFTA;
his "deal" with South Korea - will blow up once he imposes car tariffs;
his "deal" with the European Union - will blow up once he imposes car tariffs.
Fact is,
Wall Street has already secured the two things it wanted from Trump: tax cuts that further enrich Corporate America and deregulation. What remains of Trump’s economic agenda – trade wars – is a curse for U.S. business.
With 90% of Canadians holding a disapproving opinion of Trump, it is no certain thing that Trudeau will sign up. It certainly won't hurt him politically with an election just around the corner next year.
Canadians are tired of being bullied and having illegal steel and aluminum and lumber and...tariffs imposed on them and being insulted. Trump treats Kim Jong Un better than Justin Trudeau, and Saudi Arabia better than Canada. Indeed, if Trump has done illegal criminal felonies and would be punished for them, we would applaud it.
19
Trudeau's approval rating is around 36% in Canada. Trumps is 43% here in the US.
But, does anyone approve of anyone anymore anyway??
1
I take lawmakers' "confusion and concern" as seriously as I take their "thoughts and prayers" following gun-enabled killing sprees. Words without actions are useless.
20
I searched this article for even one comment from a Democrat, you know, the lawmakers some of us voted for to represent us on important matters that affect our lives, like trade policy. Last count, there were 47 of them in Senate and 194 of them in the House. Did none of them return your reporters' calls? In this and the companion article, three Republican senators were quoted. Democratic senators? Zip. Millions of us Democratic voters deserve a voice on the issues of the day. What do our Democratic representatives have to do to get a sentence or two in your news articles? Shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue? Fair and balanced. Not.
18
@abigail49 It's almost like you're completely blind do the doings, misdoings and nondoings of the GOP for the last 10 years. Sorry, I think your statement is ridiculous.
2
Look at the map. The need for a tri-lateral agreement is a no brainer. I suspect that the "done deal" that Trumputin brags about could have been accomplished with far less rancor, bullying, insults, turmoil and uncertainty. All that has taken place so far is clearly just posturing and eyewash to boost our Narcissists ego. General Bone Spurs is and always will be a loose cannon. Congress will now have to step forward and bring order out of unnecessary chaos. Be patient with us Canada and Mexico -- American voters will step forward.
10
Ha ha. I like that one. Trumputin. Yes, he is great at trumputin out a lot of nonsense.
What the article leaves out, as usual for the Times, is a comparison of the new deal with the old. In fact, the changes to "NAFTA" (so far in name only) appear largely inconsequential and impact only a small percentage of production. Likewise the wage requirements. The Mexican negotiators have basically changed the order of the wording without the meaning, told Trump he's oh so powerful all this winning, and deftly pulled the wool over his eyes. Idiot.
9
Why is it confusing that Trump is attempting to leave Canada out? I'm still confused by how Trump continues to get the benefit of the doubt by the media, including the Times. Haven't we learned how simple it is with this president? He doesn't like Justin Trudeau. He's using the power of the U.S. government to punish him and, by extension, Canadians. The evidence continues to point to Trump being a malicious, vindictive, incredibly immature person. He is willing to wage a trade war to get back at someone who has criticized him.
23
Actually, it's called leverage. It's useful for negotiating purposes... Canada is stuck. We'll get a better deal now.
Clever move by Trump! Sorry NYT readers!
2
I gather that - were I to buy an American made Ford these days (and I've been buying largely Fords since 1967), that I am effectively supporting the man's policies and views as well ...
can I tell you how incredibly unpleasant such a thought is to me, or have you (somehow) already guessed ??
7
Can you please stop using the word "deal"? This is not a deal, it is an agreement. Stop "buying into" Trump's language.
7
Once again, the facts don't support the noise. From the U.S. government's own website:
"U.S. goods and services trade with Canada totaled an estimated $673.1 billion in 2017. Exports were $340.7 billion; imports were $332.3 billion. The U.S. goods and services trade surplus with Canada was $8.4 billion in 2017."
https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/americas/canada
5
Another giant nothing burger from Trump. The "deal" is extremely limited in scope. None of the details have even been discussed, and it must be ratified in Congress, where it will fail.
But that doesn't matter to Trump, who touts this as the greatest trade deal ever. The MAGA-head fools buy this garbage, and that is all Trump cares about.
6
There is no deal. It's all hot air which will float away if there were to be a temporary slide through purely for optics. I hope Canada calls the Useful Idiot's bluff. In any event once he's GONE, we'll get a real deal. One can hope.
6
Don't the Mexicans understand that Trump is just using them and he will undermine them as soon as it is in his interest to do so. But then Mexico will no longer have an ally in Canada so they won't have any bargaining power.
He made it very clear what he thinks of them
3
These trade deals are moving suddenly too fast. I don't trust Trump what his team is giving up or suppose to be helping the USA. Look at the Carrier plant in Pences state . There workers are daily fearful the jobs are still going south any way. The GOP support business in reality to pay only 2.00 a day and no health insurance so the 1 percent can get ahead and the 99 percent stay poor. To believe Trump and GOP are for the workers you are badly brain washed. Who promotes right to work states GOP. All that means women can be abused on the job more and if an employer suddenly does not like you he can fire you with no reason.
3
Since everybody believes that NAFTA was not perfect .. whats the hard if he really can get something better .
Pretty sure the better was displayed in Helsinki and Singapore anyways.. but lets check .. hopefully congress will this time read and ponder before signing off!
Canada should counter Trump's threats with a Canada-China-Mexico trade agreement and a public statement to cease-and-desist with the mobster lingo.
Your move "stable genius".
15
I wonder would it / could it ever happen that Canada joins the European Union. There’s a vacancy coming up soon.
When you think you have been elected King, and the co-equal houses don't rein you in then you think you can do anything. The American Public wouldn't disagree with 80% of what you are doing if they thought it would benefit the US but being petty against all logic is what you get with him. no one likes a bully and that is what he doing trying to bully other countries into submission.
4
Please try to remember that this president is limited to only a hand full of tools: Narcissism and tyranny. All the rest you hear and see is simply a product of those two facets, and remember: they compete with each other. So try not to expect too much from him.
And you all know what we, the voters should concentrate on:
DUMP TRUMP!!!
9
Trump is insuring that Mexico and Canada grow closer to protect from a common bully who wants a bully's share, others be damned. There is no art to this deal, only greed and selfishness.
3
Look.
This deal with Mexico is the largest trade deal ever. Period.
Canada is the John McCain of countries.
It deserves neither acknowledgment nor respect.
Like McCain it is hardly worth paying any attention to at all.
Again largest trade deal EVER!!
Like the Denuclearization of North Korea, the eyes are dotted, the tees are crossed.
Benito Trumpolini's great negotiating skills have prevailed yet again.
Now if he can only master the difficult telephone technology.
10
Very humorous. I like that – Benito Trumpolini.
On behalf of all sane, rational and appreciative Americans, please forgive us Canada, we love you!!!
7
@JBK007 Do you? We hope so. We love Americans in general. We'll be back to visit in a couple of years or so. Right now, we're holidaying elsewhere.
1
@JBK007We'll likely forgive you. But not him - and his base.
1
I got this feeling that djt’s next move will be to announce the construction of a huge wall across the US/Canadian border.
It should be at one of his rallies, which he’s due for within the next few days. The crowd will go crazy with their cheering.
Trump has some kind of odious grudge against Trudeau, bragging that he lied to him but complaining that Trudeau lied. Trump is petty enough that he's jealous of someone younger, better looking, and smarter than he. Trump governs based on juvenile feelings.
17
“Divide and Conquer”. Such a simple brutish way of achieving one’s goals, but then what else can we expect from Trump. I hope that Canada will increase its trading diversity with other countries. Canada and the US have been good, even great neighbours, but for Trump there is only one winner - him. For now.
10
Trump’s next move will be to
Steal the tar sands and declare the rapidly defrosting norther territories US property.
@WisconsonianCanada would fight hard for that one. At some point due to global warming, the much-dreamt-about Northwest Passage will come into being in order to move goods between Europe and Asia. That passage running through the Arctic would kill the Panama Canal and hurt the Suez Canal. And help Denmark (Greenland) Canada and the USA prosper.
Keep the Russians as far away as possible.
Sorry;but the entire deal needs to be approved by congress and that won't happen until next year and by than the democrats will control the house and its passage could be in danger . Trump may want to wait until the deal is complete before bragging .
7
in 2017, the dollar value of trade in goods with Canada was :
US Goods Exports of $282,265,000,000 ($282 BILLION)
US Goods Imports of $299,319,000,000 ($299 BILLION)
The dollar value of services was:
Services exports to Canada were $58.4 billion
Services imports from Canada were $33.0 billion
That gives the US a net TRADE SURPLUS of approximately $8 BILLION.
If Donald Trump thinks he can just push trade with Canada aside and replace NAFTA with a bilateral agreement with Mexico, he is delusional.
14
@Joe From Boston An obvious example of Trump fomenting a crisis over a non-existent problem.
2
Plus a Canadian dollar is worth $.76 US at the moment (more less).
At the risk of repeating a point that someone else ought to have made in this long, long thread: what sort of message is the Trump administration sending when they spend several months hammering out terms with Mexico, then seem to expect the Canadian government to adhere to this proposed agreement by this weekend? Brevity prevents me from venting about the daftness of Peter Navarro and Robert Lighthizer as interlocutors with the Canadian government, or the calculated insult reflected in the "national security" arguments advanced by this administration. As a long-time Canadian ex-pat living in Wisconsin, I'd happily trade the current administration's studied vitriol and self-serving misrepresentations for the chronic and benign inattention that American citizens and governments have shown Canada for most of our histories.
10
Most of us anyway...I live in Wisconsin and not only can I find the plains of Abraham on a map but I know what the name of the last invasion of Canada by Americans was called (patriots war). It didn’t go to well either.
1
I would love to see Prime Minister Trudeau standing at a podium next to Trump, then have him turn to Trump and say "Listen here you petty little child. Canadians have had enough of you. Effective immediately, all products that are produced in the 35 States that depend on Canadian trade are now banned from entering Canada. We have other trade deals. We don't need you." I know that's only wishful thinking, but a guy can dream.
10
As a Canadian, Trump concerns me as a dangerous adversary to my country, its stability, its leadership and its values. However, I must admit that I would be far more concerned about my country if we were governed by the kind of leadership that Trump admires. I trust that my country will weather this turbulence and I hope that yours does as well.
11
As an American, I feel the same as you do! He’s a horrible excuse for a president. He barely qualifies as human.
3
As a Canadian could you ever imagine Canada becoming a member on the European Union (EU)? This would, no doubt, involve a name change. Magical thinking, I know.
Is 16 dollars an hour supposed to be a lot of money? It's even more laughable for a manufacturing job. All the changes to this are pathetic and mostly symbolic and will have little positive effect on workers.
As long as it remains a mostly corporate and investors rights agreement, it will not be beneficial to actual every day people in any country or to democracy or the environment.
It will also not help Mexican farmers who were forced to flee to the USA illegally or grow/sell drugs in order to survive as NAFTA allows American agribusiness to flood the Mexican market with subsidized goods.
3
@Paul Weissenborn - It depends on where you live. On the East or West Coast of the US it's a pittance. In Mexico it's a living wage.
To favor Mexico and "to jettison Canada" makes perfect sense. It will reduce illegal border crossings across Texas and increase Canadians settling here in the US - a "Win-Win" situation. Or it could be that Trump is first a bit negative on Canada but tomorrow change his mind to once again boost the stock market and make a few bucks.
1
@rudolf :This deal is dead in the water and won't be pased by congress /period
1
Why would a Canadian come here? No healthcare, no job security, a completely dysfunctional government, the streets awash in firearms, an idiot president ... maybe you’re joking?
8
@Naturalist exactly. Why would we go to the US? Or maybe it is just false news.
Give it a few more hours and it will all change. He's never stuck to any deal so why should this be any different. If Nieto's administration is smart, they won't be holding their breath; just like Canada.
4
Please, NYT reporters, check the facts before publishing these stories. There is no revised trade deal with Mexico. Mexico and the US agreed on item, the content of US made. That's all. This is not a deal. It may be the beginning of a deal. Or not.
5
@Ken Zimmerman
It is hard to believe, but, newspapers have people that create these headlines. I guess it does not matter whether or not they are actually true.
Kushner Companies has been hit with $210,000 in fines by New York City regulators for filing false real estate paperwork over several years.
President Trump's son-in-law — and current adviser — Jared Kushner was still at the helm of the real estate company as CEO when the New York City Department of Buildings says the company routinely falsified construction applications at 17 sites.
The city's Building Department found the company frequently under-reported, and in some cases didn't report any rent-regulated tenants living in its buildings, despite renting to hundreds of them.
Developers are required to report the number of rent-controlled tenants they inherit when they buy properties and renovate them. The requirement is a safeguard to protect tenants from steep rental increases or from being driven out to make way for higher-paying tenants.
On Monday, the city fined the Kushner family business for 42 violations at 12 addresses between January 2013 and September 2016.
7
@Alabama - How is this related to trade with Canada and Mexico?
1
There will be some updating of NAFTA that is needed but the description of the changes so far are minor. Trump`s hype about a new deal is as valid as :
1/ Mexico is going tp pay for the wall.
2/ Trumpcare will be better & cheaper & cover everyone.
3/ The Trump Tower meeting with the Russians was all about orphans.
4/ I didn`t payoff Stormy or McDougal for sex because I didn`t do it.
5/ I will disclose my tax returns (like all candidates).
6/ I had bone spurs in one of my feet (can't remember which foot) so I avoided serving in Vietnam but McCain is not a hero.
7/ In Helsinki he said that Russia did not hack/interfere with the US election. (this was the umpteenth time he said this.)
Trump`s lies now total 3000+ since 2017 according to the media.
America , what have you done to yourself !
19
Trump has effectively poisoned his own well in these negotiations, which is a shame. The agreement with Mexico seems targeted at quashing Chinese auto manufacturing. China entering automotive production in a big way would really be a game changer for north America and pursuing back against it makes sense. But Trumps ham-fisted approach and his scandal soaked administration leave an otherwise sensible idea swinging in the hurricane of his own making. Canada is forced to eat a double serving of humble pie in order to join in. That is stupid and serves nothing except Trumps galactic ego. "Everything that Trump touches, rots" bears out here.
14
Trump again thinks he is a dictator. He also uses foreign policy for the purpose of massaging his ego. I was waiting for him to call it the TRUMP Trade DEAL. Wait until he figures out he doesnt have the power to unilaterally change trade deals.
14
Trump got the Mexican working man a raise to 15 bucks an hour. Viva Trump!
6
Huh?
Canada will sign Trump's Trade Agreement. Perhaps not today, but Canada will sign.
It will hurt Canadians economically if he doesn't. He will be putting his personal preference and views of President Trump before Canadian interests Trump's Trade Agreement.
He will have to suck it up. President Trump has the leverage now that Mexico signed the agreement.
2
@F1DriverYou seem to be saying "Canada will give in." You doth speak to soon. THE US business world hates what Trump is doing re Canada. The leaders of states bordering Canada oppose what he is doing - including lots of Republicans. It is a mindless stunt, with him throwing a piece of meat to his supporters in those states - in order to keep some of his stupidest supporters happy. Those states' own business worlds oppose Trump's stunt. No free trade deal would hurt the USA as much as it would hurt Canada. The two countries can't survive without each other. Why stomp on your best buddy's toe?!!!
4
@F1Driver Democrats are going to kill the deal /period
1
Why would Canada sign on to the US - Mexico Trade Agreement?
So, did the agreement include Mexico building that so called $17 billion "beautiful wall" ? Maybe out traitor in chief might move the wall to the northern border and threaten Canada with that. I guess Trump is hoping to wreck the Canadian economy, force Canadians to toss out Trudeau and bring back Canada's Trump; Stephen Harper.
Of course, wants tariffs on Canadian newsprint so he can get rid of the "enemy of the people", as newspapers shut down. Then Trump will start a new national newspaper, something like a print edition of FOX News, our own version of "Pravda".
Trump is wrong that Canada needs the Us to survive, economically. They, like 2/3 of the United States, are waiting it out until Trump is voted out or kicked out of office.
10
Does Trump not realize this isn’t a real estate deal where you have potential buyers bid against each other?
Trump and his people need to sit down like adults with leaders of both countries if he's serious about improving upon NAFTA. Instead he “negotiates” like a petulant child who doesn’t want to share, he wants everything.
He boasts of standing up for our country to get all he can. Does he not realize the leaders of Mexico and Canada are also doing the same for their country and people.
C’mon, Trump, negotiate in good faith and everyone can be winners, especially the citizenry of all three countries. Your trade war is harming us.
11
I think a bilateral US-Mexico is all that is needed. The Old NAFTA was purely a prop up for a flagging Canadian economy, that also had to deal with Quebec separation etc.
Canada has milked this agreement while protecting its Diary, Banking, Manufacturing industries. If you buy any US product in Canada, for example, in Ontario, you will pay a HST of 14%...They are complaining on meager tariffs Trump is imposing an a few goods.
We can have some industry agreements with Canada, but including a ungrateful partner is a no go.
2
@Gyns D
There was no "Old NAFTA". Canada had bilateral trade agreements in place with the U.S. going back to the sixties, including auto, and Canada's economy was hardly flagging.
By the way, Mexico is part of N/A and because of their exploding economy and oil wealth it was decided, at much reluctance by Canada, to incorporate Mexico into the fold with corporations selling the idea that this would raise the standard of living for Mexicans so they could buy more products. The problem is, their wages remained low and that is why this trade agreement is being re-negotiated.
Protecting, dairy, banking and manufacturing? Banking? While American banks tanked the economy during the financial meltdown of 2008 ultimately being bailed out with YOUR tax money, Canadian banks remained profitable to the point where they started to buy up cheap American assets.
You might want to look at who is the parent company of "Harris Bank" and TD is now the SEVENTH largest bank "in America".
Ungrateful? Give me a break.
6
The HST is the “Harmonized Sales Tax” which combines federal and provincial sales taxes on everything, wherever it comes from. In Canada, only provinces like Alberta who could rely on oil revenues forgo sales taxes.
2
@Gyns NAFTA is far, far, far, far more important for the USA than its own struggling dairy farmers in the Great Lakes states and New England. More than 10 border state's governments and business communities disapprove what he is doing. He is trying to keep hiis loudest-mouth supporters happy - while endangering stability in the economy.
1
Threaten. Create crisis. Flex muscles. Use “sad” and “ripoff” a lot. Window dress the old accord/ treaty. Declare great victory but more importantly “great deal”. Threaten others with the results. Repeat.
That about sums it all up.
16
@Bogdan
You left out ‘rename’ so Trump can claim it’s an entirely new deal better than the old deal.
Trump above all is a showman. He belongs in Vegas with it’s flashy neon and faux gold gild, not The White House.
1
This was an opportunity to put a shiny object in front of the press, to disrespect John McCain. What I especially liked was the president's command of technology. He fumbled with his desk phone for an interminably long time. Finally a staff member or intern mercifully pressed the correct button for him. What a proud example of a commander in chief.
11
Live close to, and vacation frequently in, Canada. These days I feel sheepish and ashamed. Maybe Trump will drive a slightly better bargain in some area of trade with Canada (or just claim to), but at what cost? Who can blame Canadians for resenting the way their country and Prime Minister are being treated? It's totally unnecessary. Eventually, the bully Trump will be gone, but how long will it take to (hopefully) re-establish the friendship and trust we have always shared with our northern neighbor?
17
First no or few tariffs (in NAFTA), then lots more tariffs (per Trump the nationalist for his alt-right base, but would hit it hardest), then back almost to the original, but so far only with Mexico -- which will soon have a new president anyway. Now that Trump is backtracking on trade, Canada must be as confused as Congress and the U.S. public. Given that condition, is it time to build a northern wall instead of the southern?
3
Actually, the REAL reason why Trump is "ticked" with Canada is because last year during the coarse of several court cases, a bankruptcy and eventual sale of what was The Trump Tower in Toronto, they paid off his organization, got rid of them once and for all and pulled his name off the building ultimately replacing it with a much more reputable company.
14
It wouldn't look good politically if Canada were to follow in behind Mexico in in a trilateral trade agreement. The young Trudeau needs to be given the opportunity to stretch his legs, make some pro-Canadian statements and swing his rubber sword. Canada cannot survive economically without trade with the United States, everyone knows this; just as they know that in the end Trump's will be done.
@Kurt PickardAnd vice versa Hillbilly boy. Closed minds down south. More than $1 billion per day of trade crosses that border. More than any other two nations in history. Great Lakes States would collapse without the economic powerhouse Ontario. Northeast would go dark without hydro power from Quebec. USA oil industry would stumble badly without Canada's own Alberta, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Newfoundland and Labrador. Read something.
P.S. I can't stand Trudeau, but Trump is a far greater threat to his own country - and to its next door neighbors.
2
Trump wants to give the impression that this replaces the old NAFTA with a brand new one when what it does is modify it and extends it. He’s spinning facts again to make things seem like he’s a lot more important than he really happens to be.
12
Given Donald Trump’s abysmal history of success in business: 5-6 bankruptcies, refusal to pay contractors for work done, failure to live up to business contracts, inability to get bank loans due to bad credit history, etc. smart people would avoid entering into any and all business deals with him. Certainly, never believe him.
Take the late Senator John McCain’s advice: exclude Trump from everything.
8
The production linkages and supply chain that connected the three NAFTA countries, the US, Canada, and Mexico, once disrupted can't be reestablished, nor Canada can bekept out of the agreement at will that is perhaps beyond the comprehension of Trump, who wants to rework the trade agreement on his own just because he dislikes the term NAFTA.
13
We the American people need to that our POTUS because he is performing a valuable service - when he erupts with a new statement or tweet - we do not have to think - it is dead wrong!
2
More smoke and mirrors a la North Korea from the aster of playing his audience.
What deal?
9
Putin's little sidekick. Trump is taking every step he can to break up or damage NATA and insult its allies. Somebody stop this man! GOP Congress where in the world are you?????
8
Trump slightly tweaked Clinton's NAFTA to add some of Obama's TPP.
15
what a stupid lowlife trump is...just calling NAFTA by another name to con, yet again, his deplorable,gullible,pathetic supporters.Cutting out Canada equals no deal all because he's having a hissy fit at Trudeau because he called him out for the bully he is.It boggles the mind that trump is 72 and shows no sign he ever came close to adulthood.Resign and cheat at golf at one of your tacky clubs for the rest of your embarrassing life.
30
And at the end of all the posturing, Justin Trudeau will still be better looking and more admired than Donald Trump, even in the United States. If you don't think that this is what is driving Trump's actions, then you have not been paying attention to the venal, small-minded occupant of the Oval Office. Of course it helps that he doesn't understand macroeconomics or the implications of either trade deficits or tariffs, but the lizard-brain impulse to exclude and punish Canada is merely petty.
26
@AllieB, Justin's stock in Canada is at an all time low..He is a total failure on foreign policy, including India trip, Saudis, mishandling of the unpopular illegal alien crossing in Quebec & Ontario etc. Not to mention BC and their protests on pipeline that Justin supports.
Andrew Scheer is thirsting for an early call to the general elections, and if the elections in Ontario are an indication, the Liberals will done, hopefully for a while.
1
@AllieB
I totally agree that any country with a young, handsome, smart, vibrant and popular leader totally threatens Trump. My heart is sick over this.
4
The power to destroy and the incompetence to repair.
12
Yay! We're going to tax Americans to pay Mexican workers more on the off chance that some jobs won't leave the US.
Why don't we just tax Americans to create jobs in the US?
I'm tired of winning!
11
President Trump’s advisers have pressed for new trade rules to bring more production back to the United States.
Wonder if that included pressing the Trump family to bring back overseas production of their Trump branded products?
8
So, this is the basic process that the President's 'trade war' was supposed to initiate. A negotiation, followed by compromise, followed by a new agreement that's better, presumably, for all sides. The concern over Canada's inclusion is touching, but they will have no choice in the end. The press is bending over backwards to present it in the most negative way possible of course, but for everybody else, I say give credit where it is due to the President, which is the same thing I said to my Republican friends during the Obama Administration, by the way.
1
The changes are so minor as to be imperceptible. That is why Mexico is eager to sign on. Chief bone spurs just likes to rename things. Sorry , no credit due.
2
None of the published documentation of the discussions has mentioned the full extent of the disagreements between the US, Canada and Mexico triggered by Trump's illegal procedures and Mafia-like bully tactics to amend this agreement. There is more than sunset clauses, autos, steel/aluminum tariffs, lumber, paper and cheese at play in what is negotiated. We cannot evaluate what a responsible Canadian response should be without full disclosure of the current state of all the disagreements. Nor have we seen any cost:benefit analysis establishing whether there would be merit for Canada staying out of an agreement between the US and Mexico that does not serve Canada appropriately - maybe yes, maybe no.
As well, one should consider that Trump has established a low bar for the sustainability of any agreements with any country: rip them up at your own convenience. Carrying this philosophy forward, Canada and Mexico could agree to the best that can be tolerated temporarily, then demand renegotiation of various provisions with the next Administration, which may not be that far into the future.
6
Canada is so perfect all unto itself, it's unlikely they even need us anyway.
4
@John DoeCanada needs you. And you need Canada. Six of your Great Lakes states would collapse economically without the province of Ontario - and vice versa. Clue-in America. Read the stats. Trump is throwing mud in your next-door neighbor's face with no good reason.
7
If this were Obama's deal, it would be heralded as a big step forward for labor. Democrats would be crowing about what they've done for labor.
It's Trump so....here you are. Bad, bad, bad.
5
If this were Obama's deal, it would be shriekingly attacked by right-wingers precisely as TPP was, and lyingly called a Muslim attack on American workers deployed as part of a communistical open borders strategy dreamed up by Bill Ayres.
But because it's Trump's deal, good, good, good.
9
@AACNY
If this was Obama's deal:
1. There would be a done deal (not a "deal" still in negotiation with only one of two counter-parties, not a "deal" that is not signed) before the "big announcement" (really just a photo op, and a bad one at that) was made.
2. The guy making the announcement would actually know how to use his phone.
3. The documents would be available for review.
4. The "deal" would not be announced just to try (unsuccessfully) to distract from other news that is embarrassing to the White House.
But all of that takes something Trump will never possess - competence.
7
@AACNY kind of like North Korea, right? Where Trump made that big breakthrough and he celebrated and people like you went along with it, because it was the deal of a generation? Even though nothing was put in writing and it seemed to be merely an amendment of existing arrangements and somewhat incomplete? We sure were wrong to doubt Trump! Oh, wait...
2
Trump claiming victory seems premature as nothing is in writing and it is only bilateral. Brings to mind his fanfare over North Korea and so far that has been a dud he thinks his negotiating style is the best but It doesn't seem to have amounted more than a lot of hot air.
7
For someone who is supposedly a "great deal maker", Trump doesn't appear to understand the slightest detail about actual legal agreements. In a multi-party treaty, 2 parties can't just change the terms of the whole agreement on their own. And they especially can't shove a third party out.
8
"Chrystia Freeland, the Canadian foreign minister, will travel to Washington on Tuesday to continue negotiations, said her spokesman, Adam Austen, on Monday. “We will only sign a new Nafta that is good for Canada and good for the middle class,” Mr. Austen added." It is taken for granted that Canada will only do what "is good for Canada," but Trump is vilified by the NYT for placing America's interests ahead of those of other countries. This entire article works off the premise that Trump should be losing sleep over Canada and that it is some sort of betrayal for him to press the interests of the USA. He gets no credit for building relations with the newly-elected President of Mexico, yet it is clear that he has worked relentlessly toward keeping his promise to renegotiate American trade deals. Is this further proof that he is a traitor?
2
Folks take Trump too literally, even though he is repulsive in every regard. However, over the past two years, it's become quite clear that his standard operating procedure is start by taking crazy positions, making threats, and blustering for a while. That always ends with a deal at the end (because he's ultimately scared of conflict) that he then claims as the "greatest" and something that he came up with himself (see e.g. the EU and Mexico). Canada will be no different.
2
@Stephen
We should not have to interpret the words and actions of our president, they should be crystal clear.
Trump is 100% certified murk!
1
Like the mob boss that he is trump just can't stop threatening anyone and everyone, even our closest allies. Our apologies to our Canadian friends.
13
Mr. Trump is obviously not a great negotiator and so far his great deals have been in his head and not reality. The North Koreans are building Nuclear weapons, this proposed agreement with Mexico has not been approved by Congress and half the world thinks we have a petulant child in the oval office, who can not be trusted. No deal maker in sight.
3
I just hope that Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, rains on Trump's Parade, the "wanna be dictator and king. Of course unless the deal does not disadvantage Canada unfairly, although I doubt Trudeau would agree to an unfair deal.
Hopefully Congress will stand up to Trump and NOT agree to a deal that without Canada which clearly would alienate our friends up north even more. My friends and family in Canada already say who needs an enemy if you have a friend like Trump.
13
The analysis in México is very different. Two points stand out. Trade with the US absorbs the vast majority of Mexican foreign trade and Mexicans are asking whether that is a good thing and if they are missing an opportunity to diversify their trading partners so as not to be so reliant on the US and the ways in which the political winds blow. Second, the new President's negotiators were part of the discussion and people are asking if this is the first defeat for López Obrador and his agenda of defending Mexican sovereignty. Hope is so high for what he can achieve but the expectation exists for those hopes to be dashed and the population is hyper alert for anticipated disappointments to materialize.
5
Canada may be better off joining the European Union?
10
Mr. Trump is applying a lot of empty smack talk....by now, we should all be able to recognize his style. He runs off at the mouth about stupid stuff and then, surprisingly, does something fairly constructive and almost intelligent. The "worst trade deal in history" of course in reality is actually "the most far-sighted enlighted treaty ever crafted by the REagan Administration"..........What made the deal "bad" was the sabotage done later by the narrow minded Bush people and Clinton people and then the benign neglect from the pompous self-righteous Obama people. For the past 25 years nobody could explain why we are enduring a flood of unemployed "mexicans" streaming into the USA taking all the jobs, that the UAW said would disappear if we signed NAFTA! It should be obvious, that after CHINA bribed just about every politician in sight, that CHINA took all the jobs...even the ones supposedly going to Mexico. The Anti-NAFTA people have been living in a trap of their own devising. Thanks Bush.
1
Putting dollar values on the cost of labor is a bad idea as purchasing power depends upon the currency used and the regional cost of living. Two workers both earning $16/hr but living in different regions will not be receiving equivalent compensation for their labor if the cost of housing, food, and essentials such as healthcare are not equivalently priced. Additionally, how do you parse the knowledge content required to design, manufacture, and market anything? Putting these kinds of boundary conditions concretely into an international trade deal is not wise.
5
This may help the American autoworker but is many of those jobs are becoming robotic. It will definitely drive up the cost of American made cars all for the benefit os US steel and aluminum but what about when it comes to the benefit to the air we breath? Then we should revise policies so that the auto industry won't have to pay more to manufacture cars? The consumer looses both ways. The Trump administration is always about corporate profit over all else.
7
A new deal is a good start.
1. American arm-twisting of Mexico benefits Canada as well. We gain without paying any political cost.
2. A tripartite agreement makes sense when the 3 parties are at equal footing. With US sitting in the middle blocking our way to Mexico, NAFTA made no sense at all. We do little business with Mexico that involves products sold to US.
3. If Trump can strike a deal with Mexico, a Canada-US deal should be a walk-over. Our trade gap is small, and issues like dairy products are minor.
4. Because of better negotiating skills Canada has traditionally outsmarted the US. But this has been a short term gain for a long term pain. A just deal will benefit both parties. It may hurt Canada in the short run, but will be good for distant future.
5. In order to get a speedy deal Canada needs to put a new negotiating team. The present one is disliked by the US counterparts.
6
@Syed Abbas
#5. What on earth has "liked" got to do with it?
6
@Syed Abbas
One has to consider the unpredictability, unreliability and overall ignorance of this President to trade deals and the world around him, hence, it wouldn't really matter what team Canada had in place to negotiate. Canadians and ALL political parties in the country are fully behind the existing team because they will not under any circumstance capitulate to a bully and a child who continues to believe he can run his office like he did his questionable business practices essentially through intimidation and lying.
Trudeau is right, a bad deal is worse than no deal at all even more exemplified when one is dealing with such a totally unreliable partner.
Canada has smart people and will be patient. For the long haul it is better to wait, absorb the short term wrath of a "child,tyrant" and when he is gone we can start dealing with adults.
Unfortunately, in the meantime, in my 70 plus years I have not seen a more widening gap in attitudes and values between Canada and the U. S. than I have seen today.
I wonder, America, is the "dog eat dog, winner take all" ideology of Trump and Republicans really your future? Well, I guess we will find out soon enough after the results of the mid-terms.
5
@pealass
It has been reported in Canadian Media that Freeland is disliked by Lighthizer.
1
Canada has been a brother to the United States for a very long time. Trump has decided to make it an enemy. Trump is like a “Boy King” of years past. He still doesn’t realize that the United States doesn’t operate this way, although, most of the so-called Republicans in Congress are no longer Republicans. They are Trumppublicans. What a great name for them!!!!
17
Photo op for Trump. All of this needs to be approved by congress in at least 6 months. Trump blowing his own horn again. Vote out Republicans . Ray Sipe
13
Perhaps Trump, who likes to flash his disrespect, is not happy with John McCain getting all the public attention right now, and he is taking it out on Canada? (After all, how could his public approval from the manipulated and party-desperate Trump-stupidity supporters be enough for his selfish sense of power?)
Like Putin, boxer-Trump needs to keep his shirt on and zip-it up with his flashings of disrespect.
10
How can the NYT report that Trump has reached a "new" trade deal when any replacement of NAFTA requires approval from Congress and would require Canada's involvement, neither of which is a sure-thing. You are a shill in Trump's flim-flam -- his usual trick (see South Korea) of proclaiming there's a "deal" when there's no real deal at all.
I'll be looking for the NYT's correction in 90 days when Trump bemoans the "collapse" of this sham deal and Trump accuses the Mexican government of a betrayal.
18
Trump dealing with things likes this reminds me of a French teacher I had in school who didn't really speak fluent French (they were really a Spanish teacher who took on an extra course). Our 8th grade class had to stay after school in 9th grade every Tuesday and Thursday to catch up to the rest of the students because of this "teacher" who ended up mixing French and Spanish together and we had to unlearn their mistake.
This is the POTUS? the dems are afraid to mention the word Impeachment. Well I'm not. Remember when they impeached Bill Clinton for lying about having an affair? Trump has already got the medal on that one 10x over and no talk of impeachment. Emoluments clause, Lying 10x per week, Campaign finance crimes, oh and possible TREASON?!!
12
'Once a bully always a bully' suits Trump like a tee. Actually, Trump is a coward in disguise, especially when holding undeserved power. Hats off to Trudeau, who had the courage to tell Trump 'Enough'. Why in the world wouldl the republicans in congress tolerate Trump's tramplings....unless they are bullies themselves?
13
trump the bridge burner. his lack of vision, imagination, and strategy amaze. sadly, our fellow puerto rico citizens and central american asylum seekers fleeing violence who were separated from their children / or parents have been the only ones to bear the brunt of this administrations pettiness, incompetence, and cruelty. now, canada with this inconsequential and stupid arrangement; soon others, (here and abroad), will face the same unneccessary brunt.
7
Thus far, Trump, as usual, has accomplished nothing. The auto agreement does nothing but provide a status quo since the percentage of valued content and wage minimums are already in place. This is another "I got an agreement. We win" without any real benefit to the US. So, what has Trump accomplished thus far? He has pissed off all of our allies. Continued the bloated military budget. Threatened nearly every other country in the world in some manner. Pushed through a "tax cut" which benefitted the wealthy individuals and corporations (You cosigned on a trillion and a half dollar loan with your rich uncle Don getting all the money). He is a fraud, a pitiful childish carnival barker whose "support" is truly the "despicables" who are apparently either totally ignorant and uneducated or dishonest morons like Trump. As for the economy, we shall see. The real estate market is teetering now. Interest rates are climbing. The deficit is climbing. The stock market is ballooning blindly with automatic contributions into deferred tax accounts. Much of the new employment is in marginal jobs with low income. We shall see where this goes.
10
This was just an attention seeking President who was jealous that Senator John McCain was getting attention. This is not even an agreement, take a word from Trump "so sad"
The American people are not stupid, Canada needs to play hard ball with this selfish president and Canada will be just find because they have a President who thinks and is not a crook.
11
Trump, with his talk of a bilateral deal with Mexico and his threat of auto tariffs, has created a large amount of political capital in Canada, for Trudeau and Freeland to bide their time on a new deal. That being said, evaluated purely on its merits, the new deal with Mexico solves a number of issues for Canada, and a reasonable deal with Canada should not be far away. It's very difficult to call this one, as there's an underlying issue of trust in the Trump government. If they don't respect existing agreements, how can Canada make a new one?
7
I think Trump is unwise to assume he can bully the Canadians. Every Canadian I know is avoiding American products and changing their usual travel plans in places like Florida and Vegas for destinations outside the US. Republicans may shrug their shoulders and say that Canada is a small market. However, Canada has been a stalwart ally and friend forever. We may someday miss the assurance of Canada’s support. Trump excels at breaking things, but lacks the insight, ability, or skill to build anything.
20
Trump's strategy of self-isolating the US will never work, the world is too globally integrated. Trump, and his supporters, believes that pulling back from the global economy, or threats of pulling back, is a good idea that will make goods cheaper, help bring back the jobs, reopen coal plants, steel plants, manufacturing, etc. In reality, this will not work and global economic isolation will further hinder economic progress and technological innovation and put the US in a far worse position than they are today. Canada knows this. Rest of the world knows this.
So Canada can call the bluff, and like a child, let Trump have his tantrum and run around in circles. For in the end, when he's done, it will be much a do about nothing and more of the same.
18
Its basically an attempt at bullying by someone who known no other approach and who is clueless on the subject he is trying to deal in. He is trying to get Canada to do what he wants by threatening them with doing something Canada and everybody else but rump knows he cannot do. This is how he conned contractor to underbid each other - then in the end he didn't pay the "winner" of the bid.
8
I can understand that Trump lacks the sophistication of education, knowledge, and wisdom to comprehend the complexities of global commerce. His grasp of how the world works isn't even medieval, much less modern - even ancient history's trade via carts and ships in the Old World is evidently more complex than he can perceive. He likes bilateral deals because multilateral ones are too hard for him to navigate.
What's sad is that those in his administration who know better are being bullied by him and others who don't, or aim to profit from disaster, into going along to get along. What a recipe for disaster!
And this kind of faux tough blundering follows the same pattern: attempt things that are questionable at best, unconstitutional at worst, and see how far he can successfully push.
However, this kind of activity falls back squarely onto Congress. Once again, we will see just what kind of check and balance it will be on this little, ignorant, corrupt man. Unfortunately, the Republican controlled Congress is a cringing dog being wagged by a blindly flailing tail, the approximately 25% of the US population that grovels at Trump's feet. I hope nothing is cast in concrete before the predicted "blue wave" cleans some of the dross out of Washington.
I hope, if that happens, it actually makes a positive difference.
4
Excellent evaluation.
Seeing all of the negative commentary on here, which are all pure conjecture is alarming. When the President deserves condemnation (which happens frequently) by all means criticize. This trade deal however is a good deal; it's starting to seem that the same people will criticize the President no matter what he does simply due to partisan reasoning.
1
@Dave Maybe just maybe Americans appreciate Canadians more than you realize. And the benefits from our relationship with Canada for centuries. Turning a friend into an adversary is never a good idea but especially a friend that you depend on for national security, and economic growth and stability. Maybe what you are reading at is how much Americans appreciate how important the Canadians are to our country while Trump has been nothing but demeaning to the Canadians. Not partisanship but for many of us we realize what friendship is about.
3
Trump is a barefaced liar. The Mexican Pres. is a lame duck. Anything from Trumps head are noise and lies until shown otherwise. I am enjoying his reign; it allows for wonderful generalizations about stupid, ugly, spineless and liars.
3
A trilateral agreement by the end of this week? Don't hold your breath!
And given that Trump was never authorized to strike a unilateral deal with just Mexico, that may well be the end of it altogether.
9
This is all an illusion and just another diversionary tactic by Trump to divert the Press and public's eyes off Trumps reprehensible treatment of John McCain.
4
Trump's Foll should be the name of this agreement. May be Trump's Folly II with the North Korea Denuclearization agreement being I.
2
The Trump Administration has negotiated a "side deal" with a lame duck administration, that will be out of office in two months, with the intent on cramming it down the throat of Canada by Friday. Donald Trump has also said that he intends to tear up any international agreement that he does not like. Thus far, he has pulled out of the Iran Nuclear Agreement, the Paris Climate Accord, the Trans Pacific Trade Agreement, and has threatened to pull out of NATO. Given these factors, the tentative deal with Mexico is not an "incredible" win for the US, it just puts NAFTA on life support with little chance of surviving as long as Donald Trump remains in the White House.
7
“The countries also agreed to limit the kinds of legal challenges that investors can make against foreign governments under Nafta. The oil and gas, infrastructure, energy generation and telecom industries are exempted from these more restrictive rules, and will operate under the previous terms, Mr. Lighthizer said — a win for those industries.”
Smells like a sell-out on the issue of those special trade “courts.” When will we get more information on that? How are the “legal challenges” limited? Why are there exemptions at all, aside from the usual legalized bribery? Sounds like a pretty disappointing revision which won’t change much, but will give Trump something to lie about.
3
I'm hoping this means that corporations will not be able to sue governments for loss of revenue when regulations affect their business.
1
So demonizing Trump aside, aren’t the changes for workers in the agreement good?
2
JJ, the guy has been demonizing himself for ages.
EPN, as the Mexican president is known is the lamest of lame ducks. His party lost the election and AMLO, the president-elect, is a new broom. It's even possible that EPN will be prosecuted for corruption.
I don't understand why the reporting about Trump's "agreement" neglects to mention these facts.
4
This ends up being a very complicated topic. What is the goal of trade agreements? how does it benefit and hurt economic output overall and percapita? and what is the effect on communities and individuals? In the end lower tariffs mean lower prices for goods, but lower tariffs mean export of production to lower income countries and so there is a trade-off in benefit/risk. Manufacturing has had decline over decades it now makes up about 9% of GDP and employs 12 million, while in 1955 it was 25% of GDP. Health care is now 18% of GDP. However, manufacture has continued to grow and we make 18% of world wide production. Jobs have gone down over decades as automation filled in.
Now, we are the strongest economy in world. GDP/capita is $59K. Mexico's is $9K. Mexican manufacture of supply chain for autos has allowed our auto companies to remain competitive, but jobs went to Mexico and Flint MI floundered according to Michael Moore.
In negotiations with Mexico do we really think they are "Cheating" us? We can force them to take a lot of bad terms because we are so big, but Mexico has done better and we have fewer Mexicans crossing the border illegally. Its complicated and we should look at it as a complicated issue, not a simplistic or Trumpistic issue.
1
Canada should be ready to call Trump's bluff on being left out of any new deal.
For all Trump's bluff and bluster, he is actually showing what a weak hand he has.
Trump is suddenly best buds with the Mexicans, who just yesterday were being cast as rapists and thieves who needed to pay for the new wall.
Now Trump is desperate for a "win" on trade as tariffs are hurting some Americans while the Chinese, the Europeans and the Canadians are proving to be no pushover in trade talks.
Both the Mexicans and the US feel some legislative time pressure to sign a new deal. But for Canada, what's the rush?
So Canada, take you time and get a good deal. Trump will likely get more desperate for some kind of a "win" on Nafta to show his base before long.
Canada can afford to show some flexibility and even give Trump some face, without actually giving up too much of substance. Even the dairy supply chain issue has got some room for Canada to throw Trump a bone.
4
Just like Trump to celebrate less than half a deal as a complete victory.
8
Yet another example of Trump crowing on Twitter over something that may well never take place (see his "greatest diplomatic achievement ever" in his non deal with North Korea). This one will fall apart too, either with Canada's non-participation or the refusal of the senate (which doesn't much like his trade policies) to ratify the changes. Trump will then move on to the next delusional success of his presidency, and the rest of us can only watch with a shake of a head and a sense of deja vu.
3
Canada is a solid and a well-respected country. For a number of very good reasons we have remained connected to our allies through peace and war and will remain so under continuing good leadership and good government. It would appear that President Trump is using trade negotiations as a ploy to show some sort of strength to the world - tactics that he might have found appropriate in his business deals or on his television programs. The world stage is no place for schoolyard games when economies depend on the decisions of leaders. How sad for all of us that it has come to this.
8
NAFTA should just be abolished. It was a haphazard knee jerk reaction to the unification of Europe. It was pushed through and signed into law by a Bush and that's all you need to know. That family has never done anything that benefited the United States or working Americans.
1
Very hard to go food shopping without reaching for produce grown in the USA but, hey, we'll have a go... Your disparagement of Canada and our leadership will not be forgotten, mr. trump.
13
@pealass
To my neighbor across the lake (I'm in Rochester), most Americans love Canada and are appalled and sickened by the behavior of a mad president the majority of people didn't even vote for. Many of us feel like we are being held hostage in a surreal nightmare where the one-party minority rules and curries fave to a monstrous autocrat. We despair that we are losing our country. Most of us admire and respect Mr. Trudeau. Let's hope our long (it's only been 2 years?!) national nightmare will soon be over.
4
Trump continues to live in his imaginary world of I alone can get it done, I am the smartest person in any room, I know more than the Generals, I know all about hacking. He mocks and ridicules our allies while standing next to Putin and taking his side against our own Intelligent agencies. He tells us we can all sleep better because North Korea has surrendered and will denuclearize, (not happening). He can't seem to grasp that he is not the owner of the White House or the Dictator who gets to change how we treat our America Hero's like Senator John McCain, by not giving a honorable statement or allowing the flag a top the White House to remain at half staff until pressured by the American Legion. Yesterday he boasts of a new and better (always bigger and better) trade agreement with Mexico, and says it needs to be renamed from NAFTA, because now its about him. I as an American can only hope and pray that those who knew, respected and worked along side Senator McCain can now start realizing that maybe McCain was correct about trump and that's why he stood up to voice his concerns. Its for the rest of you to stand up, America comes first (never trump).
10
The telephone call was classic, we don't even know how to make a call. The event was rigged to take attention away from Senator John McCain since the president was not the focus since Mr. McCain's passing.
This isn't even a trade agreement with meat, this is an example of an announcement's that hurt the American public, oh my I forgot the children that are still missing because of Jeff Sessions actions. Trump has moved on to destroy more Americans and anyone who is in the country however his in-laws are now citizens. Wonder how that worked out for him happy his wife is planting tree's and the religious haters are having a meal with the Commander in charge who has never taken his precious body to a war zone to meet real men and women fighting.
This week will display a real person vs a fake person.
.
5
So after having ensured drug costs are drastically reduced, and health insurance for all is affordable, he claims victory over a new treaty that is a replica of the old one minus a trading partner.
Wow. There needs to be a new word in the dictionary, one that replaces narcissus.
7
I suppose next step is, for Canada to be "allowed" back in the discussions, that Canadians pay for The Wall on the US-Mexico border, as this payment has not been provided for in this super- great- never- seen- before- in- the- Universe preliminary deal...
5
Frankly, this demonstrates just how little Mr. Trump actually understands global trade. By trying to lock out Canada, he's ensuring that Canada and Mexico will build a private trade deal between themselves. Considering that Canada is primarily an exporter of raw materials, Mexico is primarily a manufacturer, and the U.S. is primarily a consumer of finished goods, being unable to negotiate with both other elements of the production chain will lead to far higher prices here in the U.S., as the value added for each node along that path can be even higher than currently, and the U.S. will have no say in what those price hikes are.
As an example, let's say Mexico has an agreement with the U.S. to limit value added to no more than say 10% over what Mexico pays for the raw materials. Canada ups its prices for say Steel and Aluminum by 50% with the agreement that 10% of the increase will be returned to Mexico in good faith to keep communications open. Mexico passes on those announced extra costs to U.S. consumers, who now pay an increase of 60% above what it was previously spending, and the U.S. (which cannot now negotiate directly with Canada over its agreement with Mexico and any prices charged for raw materials) is stuck paying for it.
Mr. Trump's view that all agreements must and can only be bilateral is going to bankrupt the average U.S. consumer.
5
Opposition to Canada/Nafta is not just Republican.
Schumer opposes new trade deals, blames Canada for barriers to Cayuga Milk (video)
Updated April 19, 2017 at 1:06 PM; Posted October 19, 2016 at 3:32 PM
Sen. Chuck Schumer won't abide by Canada's unfair trade practice against CNY dairy farmers (video)
By Mark Weiner
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, a longtime opponent of international trade deals, said today he wants to revisit how the United States approaches free trade in the next Congress.
Schumer, D-N.Y., said the U.S., and especially New York, have come out on the short end of previous trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, which he opposed.
"I think our whole regime in trade has to change," Schumer said. "If your No. 1 goal is to get middle class incomes going again - even if it increases corporate profits to have undiluted free trade -- I think it has to change.
https://www.syracuse.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/10/schumer_opposes_new_...
Charles E Schumer is the leader of the Democratic Party in the US Senate
1
How did you stock portfolio respond to the news?
1
It feels as if we (Americans, Canadiands, and Mexicans) are on Flight 9525, w/ DJT locked in the cockpit.
From Wiki. :
Germanwings Flight 9525 was a scheduled flight from Barcelona–El Prat Airport in Spain to Düsseldorf Airport in Germany. The flight was operated by Germanwings, a low-cost carrier owned by the German airline Lufthansa. On 24 March 2015, the aircraft, an Airbus A320-211, crashed 100 kilometres (62 mi) north-west of Nice in the French Alps. All 144 passengers and six crew members were killed. It was Germanwings' first fatal crash in the 18-year history of the company.
The crash was caused deliberately by the co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, who had previously been treated for suicidal tendencies and declared "unfit to work" by his doctor.
7
I am really curious about the "many people" Trump always claims as saying he never could do this or that. Does he keep a nay sayer squad in the White House to tell him how great he would be if he could do the impossible thing?
6
“Those nasty, unfair Canadians!” - a phrase said by nobody, ever.
We are extremely fortunate to have the neighbors we have and it is galling that our stupid President continues to play these dumb games, looking for easy political wins when there are none to be had.
Resign, you dolt!
14
I’m sure as part of this YUGE deal, Mexico will now finally be made to pay for the wall!
4
What a dangerous, lawless, ignorant, and incompetent presidency, administration, and GOP Congress we have! What an embarrassment! Putin certainly chose wisely and well in his strategy to destroy America.
7
I could get used to buying non US cars, electronics, food, vacations etc. Don’t be bullied like Czechoslovakia strong armed by Adolph. We’re ready to suffer no deal than a ‘you’re a loser’ deal.
9
why would Canada want to make a deal? They should sit back and watch Trump crumble when businesses revolt.
13
Would not you think that Democratic leadership would probably leave out the largest of American corporations’ greed-interests than Canada, and not any other nation?
How about Democratic leadership considering only offering an option of free trade deals with countries that have an established Minimum Wage (and a wage of a certain percentage of our own Minimum Wage so that opportunist countries could not just adopt any amount in wage to qualify)? That might take care of unfair China instead of Ivanka Trump doing new business with China.
We could exempt a percentage of the poorest nations to help build their economy up until their Gross Domestic Product reaches a certain pre-set percentage and then encourage our corporations to bring their business and jobs back home. (Capitalism ‘with’ a conscience; unlike, with Trump?)
We cannot enforce other countries wages but we can enforce what shipments of products from what countries we accept in our U.S. Ports.
2
Let's begin with the obvious---Trump has no idea what is in the agreement. Now, that we have that out of the way, he has no idea how trade works---bilateral agreements do not work in a multilateral world. We are living in 2018, not 1955. I never understood how Trump could bankrupt a Casino---watching him work on just the trade issue answers that question.
19
We're the biggest economy in the world.
It's about time we start using our leverage for the benefit of working class Americans
1
@Luciano
Wonderful idea, sir. Now for the hard part: using that 'leverage' in such a way that is fair, equitable, and just.
Your president can only break things; he is horrible at actually following through on them and making actual, measurable improvements.
9
@Luciano The American dollar can be replaced by the Euro as the world's reserve currency. Your country has 4.3% of the world population. By refusing to buy any American products, 95.7% of the world population could sink your economy in relatively short order. Here's the thing my friend. An island of nationalism surrounded by the heavy seas of globalization will be affected in the same way as any island surrounded by heavy seas and relentless waves. Erosion will eat away at the island, and hollowed out caves will replace what once was solid ground.
The huzzahs celebrating this latest "deal" reminded me of the denouement at the end that fine little film, "Charlie Wilson's War".
Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman): There's a little boy and on his 14th birthday he gets a horse... and everybody in the village says, "how wonderful. the boy got a horse" And the Zen master says, "we'll see." Two years later The boy falls off the horse, breaks his leg, and everyone in the village says, "how terrible." And the Zen master says, "We'll see." Then, a war breaks out and all the young men have to go off and fight... except the boy can't cause his legs all messed up. and everybody in the village says, "How wonderful."
Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks): Now the Zen master says, "We'll see."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472062/
How can you call it NAFTA if 1/3 of the North American Countries are not involved? You should recall it AMTA. Lets see if this "deal" holds up better than the North Korean "deal."
8
"Trump Announces ... "
"Trump Proclaims ... "
"Trump Claims New Trade Agreement with Mexico ... "
Has anybody from the New York Times flown down to Mexico and talked face to face with the MEXICAN President, about this so-called agreement?
I can guarantee you that it will be a very different story from the so-called deal, that Trump is claiming.
(IF, it even comes to fruition.)
8
If Trump can divide, he will find a way.
9
This whole thing was a POLITICAL STUNT. And the fools in the media fell for it hook, line and sinker once again.
10
TRUMP IS A DISGRACE As a person, a horrible leader, and a completely unscrupulous character with no capacity for empathy or remorse. He has no friends because his idea of relating to people is to see what they can do for him, then casting them aside like used Kleenex. In the US we find it unspeakably dangerous that Trump grovels before Kim Jung Un, cozies up to Putin le Putain and invites the butcher of the Philippines, Duterte, to the White House. His treatment of Canada is shameful (which has no meaning for him because he is completely shameless), along with the treatment of European leaders. He's such a clod that he was incapable of understanding the etiquette of walking in the garden with the Queen of England. It may seem like a small thing, but it is emblematic of Trump's moral bankruptcy, dereliction of basic human precepts and psychopathic character. He has committed crimes, such as swindling the ripped-off "students" at his "university." He bought his way out of those charges to the tune of $25 million with no admission of guilt and nondisclosure of the terms of the settlement. He did the same in the 70s when his father and he were charged with violating the Fair Housing Acts by refusing to rent apartments to African Americans. His crooked lawyer, Roy Cohn, sued the government for $100 million. In the end, they signed a consent decree, again, admitting no guilt and sealing the terms of the agreement. He views the law as a challenge for him to break. CROOKKK!
9
Well done President Trump.
Thank you for your leadership
4
@Common ground
What 'leadership' sir?
Nothing is signed.
Congress has not seen the proposed wording, let alone voted on anything.
Canada has not agreed to anything.
This "leadership" is nothing more than North Korea, part deux.
5
@Common ground
Smoke and mirrors, a re-branding passed off as new, kind of like Trump's hotels and his criminal career.
2
@Common ground Another marvelous announcement while not actually accomplishing anything. Well done Donny
1
Our churlish "leader" has replaced his grade school grudge against Mexico with a GREAT NEW grudge against Canada. So it goes in Wonderland DC these days.
9
Canada, the party with authority in our executive and legislative branches is suffering mental illness right now. Please be patient while we work on getting more competent leadership.
13
It was likely inevitable that Trump would come to dislike Justin Trudeau, irrespective of anything the Canadian Prime Minister might have said or done, other than stroke Trumps ego and submit to his every wish and demand. After all, Trudeau is everything Trump is not: Young, handsome, intelligent (as oppose to cunning) and liked and respected by many whose minds are unskilled by propaganda.
12
@philarktos UNSULLIED, not "unskilled" ! I don't always catch my Kindle's unwanted and incorrect "improvements".
NAFTA was a very hard sell in Canada as it was seen to favour Mexican labour and American business. Indeed, it was a death knell to an enormous number of Canadian jobs. Other elements of globalization certainly contributed to those job losses but NAFTA was the thin edge of the wedge. Walmart and it’s dollar store capitalism rolled in from the south selling cheap Chinese knock-offs and day old bread. I can drive past Hamilton, Ontario, Canada’s Pittsburgh, and see virtually abandoned steel plants, as far as the eye can see. The workers are long gone, getting pennies on the dollar from pension plans destroyed by the same forces that destroyed Youngstown and Cleveland and Buffalo.
If Donald Trump really thinks Canada has been sneaky and unfair to the United States he should come and talk to working people who went from high paying, high skill jobs to double shifting at Home Depot and good old Walmart where they get a discount on day old bread. Read your history Trump and while your at at it, don’t bother showing your face around here, you’re not welcome. That’s sad because, for the most part,we’re pretty fond of our American neighbours.
27
trump has NOT 'struck a deal'.
They have an agreed upon framework, that is specifically tied to including Canada. That aspect has not happened, Congress has not voted on any trade deal; to claim it is something it is not is shoddy reporting.
In the end, this will be just like the "deal" trump made with North Korea: smoke, mirrors, bombast......and nothing.
7
And what sort of provisions might be in this trade deal that would be especially favorable to real estate developers, hmmm?
6
It's sounds like a great deal for the newly-elected, leftist President of Mexico and labor unions. $16/hr. wages for Mexican auto workers is a dream come true for organized labor. It's a good day for American labor, liberals, and progressives who have been advocating for better wages internationally to make wages of American workers more acceptable. 75% of product content coming from North America is also a good thing from the point of view of labor.
For decades the power of the consumer has been pitted against the power of unions and non-union workers. Right to work laws were driven by cheap imports from abroad. American workers were constantly reminded that they needed to stay competitive. This call for competitiveness was code for accepting lower wages and benefits and elimination of defined benefit pensions.
The pendulum is starting to swing the other way with this proposed agreement between the U.S. and Mexico; and it's refreshing to not hear any inane talk about 'the wall' and who is going to pay for it.
Of course, the American consumer will end up picking up the tab for this important agreement. You can bank on that. You can use your tax cut on that too.
1
The best way to reduce illegal immigration is to open opportunities across the borders. People move north because there is no opportunity where they live.
Unfortunately Trump's mercantilist policies will both make costs higher for consumers here and promote people to enter this country without documentation. Picking winners and losers almost always ends up badly.
The path to perdition is also paved with duplicitous intentions, in this case a Trump power base of people clinging tightly to empty jingoism.
1
Now, does this amazingly brilliant, world shattering “artful” deal with that capitalistic behemoth, Mexico, mean that the the American midwest farmers won’t need to be subjected to the benefits of American Socialism to the tune of 13 Billion?
6
President Trump is doing a wonderful jobs getting better deals for America. Which is exactly why the left hates him.
6
It is hard to find even one commenter that thinks it’s a good idea to review and improve trade agreements - particularly bad trade deals that did not bring about promised results.
Forever living with bad decisions is a trait Democrats should rethink.
That’s what brought you the Clintons.
6
I found yesterday's briefing and especially President Trump's behavior bizarre.
The President seemed unable to focus especially when he demonstrated great difficulty in manipulating the White House telephone system which he presumably uses every day. It was not reassuring to see that his aides were not of much assistance. If they can't get this right how are they doing with the Nuclear Codes?
Trump did not appear to be in touch with reality. He was unable to describe any of the details of the new "agreement" and simply exchanged inane pleasantries and exaggerations with a non-plussed Mexican President. He called the agreement "perhaps the largest" ever negotiated. This is a patent lie. First it is clearly not the largest. Moreover, it is a proposed framework/update to an existing agreement not a stand-alone document. It will probably require Canadian and Congressional approval. Trump appears blissfully unaware of any of this.
Since the proposal would appear to increase the costs to produce autos in the US by adding tariffs to Mexican parts, it is not clear whether the objective of creating more high-paying jobs in the US will be met. Higher costs equate to lower competitive standing worldwide.
All of this is creating uncertainty for manufacturers. Let us hope that all of this muddling around soon ends and business can get back to business.
6
Despite his age and gender, Donald Trump reminds me of nothing so much as a mean girl at the junior high school lunch table. He never forgets, never forgives, and never misses a chance to leave somebody out in the cold.
9
Does Canada want a deal with a failing democracy which is fast becoming a White Nationalist country; where it takes huge public pressure for the administration to barely behave with even basic human decency - witness the jailed, separated child refugees and even honoring a long serving revered hero veteran. If America no longer believes in the rule of law - pardons for criminals who are political friends; what kind of pressure would Americas's current course of decivilization put on Canada?
11
It might be more possible if there is a possibility for the US to reach some sort of deal with Canada if Trump would show some respect for our friend. He refuses to call the Prime Minister by name & refers to him as Justin, threatens Canada with auto tariffs if they do not rush in & go along with everything he wants. Also, who knows about Mexico with the new Leftist Gov coming in December & they do not like Trump at all with good reason. The only thing Trump accomplished yesterday was he may have learned how to use a speaker phone & maybe he will get a new name for NAFTA.
7
Since the "deal" with North Korea and the new buddy-buddy rapprochement with Russia have turned out so well, the world is on the edge of their seats in anticipation of the same results.
5
Even here, even with such clear and positive developments like this one, this paper cannot refrain from its irrational, bombastic, and downright unthinking bias against the President. Canada isn't being left out, but they have to change. Sometimes that takes time and more consideration.
7
@Len
Canada was specifically barred from even observing the talks between Mexico and the US, at trump's insistence.
Facts are pesky things, and truth will come out.
3
@Len I bet you thought the "deal" with North Korea was a clear and positive development, as well...
It's thinking that gets us to snort at Trump declaring triumph after negotiating an update to an existing agreement which was approved by Congress as a tri-party arrangement and from which he excluded one of the three parties simply because he is a petty.
@Paul P. Try thinking a little more broadly. Perhaps you'll find it more satisfying. Obviously, if the President is aiming toward individual agreements with each country (rather than the bulk of something like NAFTA), Canada wouldn't be part of the talks with Mexico and Mexico wouldn't be part of the talks with Canada. "Facts are pesky things..." indeed. Try thinking a little more broadly.
It’s all a sham of course. Something fake to show his followers. Trump think he’s a master negotiator and that Canada will follow any direction he points them to. Good luck! Let me guess: the outcome will be the same as NAFTA or slightly worse in the end - but, here’s the real deal, Trump gets to sign it with his own gold sharpie pen.
5
So we've "reached" a "deal" with Mexico, a conditional, partial, possible "deal" that "might" include Canada. Honestly, I wish the media would use language that reflects the reality. This deal is as well-formed as our "great," "historic" North Korea "agreement." The only thing left is to stamp a commemorative coin, right?
8
Today's news is a different story when it comes from Trump.
1
Characteristic with Donny's lying style and as evidenced with the "de-nuclearization of the Peninsular spat," the Mexican government talks about an understanding, Trump talks about a deal.
Deals require two entities, and Mexico is not there yet.
3
For the love of...... All the bully pretending to be president achieved was getting the Mexican government to agree to an intent...intent to review the articles put on the table by Trump's administration. Intent does not equal done deal in most cases. Naturally, Trump's America within America is being conditioned to see this as a grand slam for Trump which is how Trump has operated throughout his career. Canada's PM would be foolish to sign anything concrete at this point.
As everything in Trump's childish, vile world, this image of hardball with Canada has little to do with NAFTA and everything to do with his spoiled brat vindictive streak. All this boils down to the Trump managed project in Toronto that went sour when the owners of the hotel/condo project exposed the Trump's for the snake oil salesmen they are. They publicly listed all the problems with the project caused by the Trump's lack of managerial skills and, eventually, removed the Trump name from the building. That global exposure did not sit well with the Instigator in Chief.
15
If this is anything like the deal with North Korea this is just the idea of a deal. Not being someone who understands hard work or due diligence, the president likes to claim victory before the race has even begun. In 3 months we will hear that Mexico Canada and Europe formed another secret agreement and this “deal” was a distraction to get America in a corner.
5
Would that be President Donald “Jay” Trump, or would that be President David Dennison?
By which name is he going this time?
4
@Grunchy
John Barron. Or was it John Miller?
For Justin Trudeau, Trump’s insulting behaviour towards Canada is pure electoral gold. And we have no term limits in Canada; Trudeau will be prime minister long after Trump begins his 22-year sentence in Leavenworth.
18
Trudeau days are numbered. He knows it. Canadians know they could have a better deal under a Canadian conservative government.
@Danielle Davidson
The US knows IT would have a better deal for itself under a Canadian conservative government....and, I'm sure, Harper told them just that when he sneaked off and into the White House on Canada Day. Mulroney gave us NAFTA and Harper gave us ten years of theft from the working/middle class....never again will I risk my precious vote on a PC government.
2
American auto workers should prepare for their wages to go down to $16 per hour so the Mexican workers wages can go up to $16 per hour.
5
Wow, Trump changed the name of the agreement: gold star little guy! I’m sure the strangest is as complete and complex as his nuclear plan with NK.
2
As a former U.S. trade official involved with NAFTA from its beginning over 25 years ago, I do not understand how Canada can be left out as a legal matter since Canada is entitled to lower tariffs and such by U.S. law. NAFTA is a law approved by Congress and cannot be altered by the President by himself. Congress is simply not going to amend NAFTA and exclude Canada.
So Trump administration should negotiate with the Canadians in good faith and improve things that will benefit all three countries. Trump should stop insulting our regional friends the Mexicans and Canadians and look for a better trade deal that would help all three countries.
368
@John Trump's a dictator...Congress is clearly irrelevant.
1
@John
thank you for adding some real information and sharing your view
4
All they had to do as change the name from NAFTA to the "Great Trump Trade Boondoggle" and everything would have been okay. That is Donald wants - to end anything associated with Barack Obama.
4
I'm reminded of that feeling one gets a few weeks after making a large purchase like a house or a car, and then realizing it was a really bad deal, but they're now stock with a lemon. That's where America is right now. Can we return this, with the thought that a lot of false advertising was at play?
7
Trump starts by telling Americans that our noses are being rubbed in "it" by Mexico and Canada in trade. Now he wants them to like having their noses rubbed in "it". They don't like being bullied, and he will learn why Canadians have always been tough when we needed tough friends in battle, and they will be tough when it comes to being pushed around by the bully in the White House.
Trump learned so little that he thinks that Theodore Roosevelt's use of the term "Bully" in describing the position of President meant that a President should be a bully rather than for what the term meant to TR; it was something grand, as in his expression "bully for you!"
Trump insults heroes, friends, the living and the dead, but praises enemies. I cannot imagine how long it will take to mend fences after railing about walls as preferable to being a good neighbor, insults preferable to graciousness, hate preferable to kindness, and corruption to honesty.
14
I say the ball is in Canada’s court they have the upper hand despite Truumps bluster. They can just wait it out until for more favorable climate.
10
One key point that the NYT does not address: most of what Trump proposes to do here is illegal. NAFTA cannot be changed without Canada. Trump has to give Congress 90 days notice that he plans to sign a final agreement and then Congress has another 90 days to review. All of this goes well past the time of the next midterm election. But the main takeaway here is that the US and Mexico cannot decide to just rewrite NAFTA without Canada's participation. Until a final deal involving all three parties is worked out, the original deal remains in force. In my view, if Trump pushes this further, Canada should take the administration to court. These are US laws that Trump is violating. Apparently, his years as a crooked real estate developer who was always cheating his contractors has given him no awareness of how international trade treaties work. Of course, all the evidence is that Trump has no idea how any of this works. His ridiculously stupid comment about the US government collecting a huge amount of money off tariffs is a case in point. He made it sound like Canada would pay those tariffs. He may even believe that is the case, given how profoundly ignorant he is. But, of course, tariffs are paid by the American consumer.
27
I’m fairly sure this will collapse into a smoldering pile of nothingness, like most other substantive “deals” attempted by this president. But Democrats should recognize this as the political threat that it is. Trump essentially outflanked Democrats on the left with this, making a theatrical show of bringing back more US Union auto jobs, and/or raising the wages of Mexican auto workers. Trump is operating in the populist vacuum created by the Democrats when they started minimizing worker and labor concerns in exchange for currying favor with the transnational manufacturers and financiers. Many Americans still remember prominent Democrats saying about NAFTA “Quick, pass it right now! Then we’ll fix it later!”, and then of course making no attempts to fix it later once it was actually passed. Democrats need to get out in front of this, and not underestimate the political damage it will cause them.
10
That's right! Congress must approve any trade pact. Trump can say that NAFTA doesn't exist anymore, but that doesn't make it true. He is not some 5th Century emperor who can will things with the wave of a hand. Congress must approve any negotiated changes for them to become part of the law (in this case, a modification of the NAFTA agreement).
Sorry, Donald, but you must involve Congress in this issue. And, it's clear they don't want to give up NAFTA.
8
As always, doing Putin's bidding. His disrespectful attitude towards Canada almost guarantees that Canada will not 'jump on'. Yet driving further wedges between Western allies.
10
Well, these comments from our friends north of the border about our POTUS going to jail - are offensive too say the least.
Our friends should also remember that during their spat with Saudis - not one nation took their side - including their master, Britain or for that matter any of Canadian PM's friends in EU.
Now, as to this revised NAFTA - it's a good thing that POTUS after having campaigned against it - is able to deliver on his promise. And that's a good thing.
If it were any other man or a woman in that chair in the Oval Office - these changes would have been hailed as a win win for both countries.
To me, the most disappointing thing is our unions so beholden to a political dogma of Democrats of "resist" do not hail this agreement. Wages for all - Mexican and American - now have a floor threshold of $16 an hour. And that is a good thing.
When we are having a debate on "living wages" - any increase at the cost of rising auto prices should be welcome. I would rather pay more for a Ford than give my tax dollars to support more handouts.
Finally, a "divide and conquer" is a well used strategy in all negotiations. And after their debacle with Saudis - Canada would be well advised to join the party. It's in their interest to be a good neighbor and perhaps, have two dependable allies.
3
@Neil
"Well advised to join the party". Bully talk.
Note: Canada is/was a good neighbour.
Canada took a moral high ground.
Everyone else stepped aside because....
they bow to saudi money.
13
@Neil
"Wages for all - Mexican and American - now have a floor threshold of $16 an hour"...
That is, actually, not how the agreement reads nor, is that it's intent.
4
We may be a country with a small population and and an economy that is a fraction of the US economy.
But I firmly believe in Canada, and we will not bow to the pressure tactics and to the illegal thug-style blackmailing of your president. Other countries may have remained silent when bloggers were imprisoned and flogged, but most Canadians supported our government speaking out on these issues. And I doubt that calling our Prime Minister “weak and dishonest” is going to gather much sympathy around here.
7
With all due Respects to Canada, there is an easy solution. Open up special immigration for Americans tired of Trump and all the other bigots now in control of America. That move will make Canada a financial and population equal to the US in 2 years, if Trump is not impeached.
Do not take this lightly, there is lots of pent up desire to say goodbye to the ignorance Trump has unleashed. Canada is at the top of my list for a next long visit/stay.
Yes, Canada has been a true best friend to the US and I have to apologize very sincerely to every Canadian for the way that Trump has acted towards Canada.
25
@WorldPeace2017
Enlightened Americans (that is to say, those who see Trump for what he is) are welcome in Canada! It is not difficult to emigrate.
But hold on there: if all the enlightened Americans move to Canada, the American nuclear stockpile (and its economy, and its capability of destroying the environment, and ... [you get the point]) will be left in the hands of the neanderthals who remain. Sorry, enough of you must stay in the US to vote the scoundrels out of office -- beginning Nov 6!
2
I don't know how cars are made these days, so I am unclear about how the percentage of autos which must be made by workers earning $16 per hour or more is calculated. Is it by volume? If five well-paid workers are running lots of robots that create the car bodies, does that count? Is it by weight? Same question. Is it by price? That must be impossible because of the mark-up and transportation costs. I'm not clear if this slightly altered NAFTA benefits any US auto worker at all.
5
GM and Chrysler Canada were in Canada decades before NAFTA. Yes - these are US owned! So the Trump nonsense about Canadian cars is just that. Oh yes - and the Ontario and Canadian government bailed them out in the recent depression - voters should remember that Trump was against the bailout. How does the media buy in to Trump lies? Let me guess - too lazy to check facts. No this is just a hate Trudeau movement. Used to be Mexico. Remember?
18
It boggles the mind that Mexican leaders are throwing their own citizens under the bus. Who did Trump bribe to make a deal with Mexico on trade?
8
Trump thinks Canada will come begging to be included and cut a disadvantageous deal.
12
Trump, call your trade deal whatever you want.
But don't even think about trying to change the paint scheme of the new Air Force One.
7
Excuse me, but the Fact Check of the Day, which, for some reason did not begin “President Trump either lied or had no idea what he was talking about when he said ...”
Points out that any changes in NAFTA must ne approved by three national governments including the US Congress.
Assuming the NYT has done its usual research, I am impressed that Trump has been able to impose tariffs in violation of NAFTA - in part using a federal executive tariff power to overturn a federal law.Why hasn’t the NPAA or any other publishing group injured by the Trump unilateral tariff act challenged this as unconstitutional, for it allows one branch of government to overturn a law signed by a previous Presidency, and Congress, who, JOINTLY must approve treaties, and has done so, in one instance irrelevant to an economic issue (Canada is NOT dumping paper, nor any other product on the US) and in direct conflict with our basic law regarding treaties, but of press freedom.Though the Constitution says “Congress” shall make no law, he is acting in violation of Congress’s treaty rights AND for reasons of injuring an industry he repeatedly calls “failing” to prevent dissemination of information to the people that he has repeatedly lied or twisted the truth at an average of more than 7.5times a day, specifically to prevent the press from serving its prime function of exposing violations of law by the government to the people.
The tariff on newsprint is an intent to obstruct justice by changing public views.
13
Excuse limited space and a long sleepless night for an error:
The concept of of obstructing justice would not be based on “changing public views” - that’s the purpose of the First Amendment - to allow publications to change people’s views.
The Constitutional and Obstruction question goes back to the pre-Revolution tax on each page printed by the public press - one of the reasons for the development of the late, lamented huge broadsheet format of US papers - if you could fit two pages of copy on one sheet, taxes fell 50%.
But Trump has raised a specific tax increase on an industry he has stated he wishes to limit - the newspapers - those ink-on-paper things that provide enough room (when a ‘paper can afford the numbers of good reporters necessary to pry anything resembling truth from the man)
Increases in, among other things, newsprint and decreasing ad revenue have led newspapers to cut what they need most - reporters - and the size of the “news hole” where the words go.
Trump is protecting himself from what he calls his “enemy”, further limiting the ability of our papers from digging up the truth about the miscreant President, giving him more freedom to destroy the nation, directing an attack on folks near the top of his “enemies’ list” despite their specifically protected status.
I also jumbled the letters ANPA American Newspaper Publishers’ Association. Not NNPA as originally stated.
1
The dig at Canada is a standard negotiating tactic to get the ball moving.
The NYT is ignoring the elephant: is the deal better than the previous one? If so, then it's a win for Trump. After all, Obama didn't attempt to renegotiate NAFTA.
5
Mannyv
You seem to ignore the fact that any and all statements made by this president are just self promoting exaggerations and have nothing to do with economics, the quality of the agreement or how to get along with and lead with our allies .
33
@mannyv
Obama renegotiated and updated all of NAFTA under TPP.
1
It’s interesting how NAFTA was “the worst trade deal in history!” Yet, NAFTA-lite is a “great deal”. His psychopathological tendency for over-exaggeration and use of superlatives is disturbing, yet predictable. What is more disturbing is how his supporters will cherry-pick positive economic indicators and attribute them to “Trump’s” policies and the brilliant business acumen the gave rise to them.
23
It takes 6 bankruptcies to get to be great is it? bet this would indeed be a great deal for the US.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2016/live-updates/general-electio...
4
It is AMAZING to me that so many people ignorant of so many facts about this issue, on what is supposed to be one of our top news sites!
I see dozens of comments, with hundreds of recommendations, and language in the article, claiming that the new Mexican President, AMLO, will derail this agreement. That is pure TDS hallucination! Even the LA Times has admitted that AMLO had a representative in the negotiations, and praised the new deal, even taking credit for a particular change in the deal.
http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-mexico-trade-20180827-story.html
The analysis I see is also ridiculously myopic, with TDS being the prism through which the deal is being looked at.
What about the content rules? How many of you understand that China currently exports $18B/year worth of auto parts to Mexico, almost all of which enters the US, tariff-free? The change from 62.5% to 75% of content being made in North America means approximately 300,000 additional vehicles worth of content will be made in Canada/US/Mexico.
How about that standard that requires 40% of workers make at least $16/hour? That is truly win-win-win. A LOT of Mexican workers are about to get a significant pay raise, and US and Canadian shops will now have a better chance of competing with Mexican labor costs (especially with transportation costs mixed-in). When Senator Levin (D-MI)was crying about NAFTA, four years ago, he wanted an $8/hour wage. He should be signing Trump's praises, right now !
3
Where is the pay raise for Workers in US? Thought so.
17
Something is seriously wrong with someone who cannot get along with Canadians, of all people!
32
Lest we forget -- remember how "enamored" the President's daughter was with President Trudeau? I think Trump is jealous of Trudeau since we know he would like to date her (if she weren't his daughter?)!!
16
@Lois Lettini
LOL........That was funny.
P.S. We don't have a President, we have a Prime Minister.
America's very peculiar President has made a big show of announcing an agreement to have an agreement later on. His Mexican counterparts are about to leave office, so I suppose they thought they have nothing to lose by taking part in his show.
The rest of us, however, are not leaving. Still we can judge the gravity of the whole thing by noticing that the man can't even sign his own non-disclosure agreements.
Tweet twice and call us in the morning, OK Donnie?
23
“They will also be required to use more local steel, aluminum and auto parts, and have 40 to 45 percent of the car made by workers earning at least $16 an hour, a boon to both the United States and Canada and a win for labor unions, which have been among Nafta’s biggest critics.”
Democrats used to be for the American worker but no more. Instead they complain that Trump is being unfair to Mexico and Canada. Their rant used to be that the deplorables just couldn’t adapt to the demands of globalism. Somehow Canada didn’t get the message, so it imposed tariffs as high as 270% on dairy products from the USA, which was somehow permitted under NAFTA. Now the dynamics have changed. The American dairy farmer and all the deplorables will be doing better but the technocrats can’t take it so they howl and complain—about what? They just can’t adapt.
2
Implied in your drivel is the notion that Republicans are for American workers. Remind me again, which party has pushed Right to Work laws across the country? Which party has consistently and intentionally demonized unions? Which party has constantly fought to demolish regulations meant to keep workers safe on the job? Which party keeps passing tax breaks that least benefit the working class? Which party fights minimum wage? Which party takes healthcare away from poor workers?
14
@Ed a 270% quota on dairy products? Sorry Ed, but, no. You’ve bought into Trump’s blarney. Do some fact finding (your own research, where accurate statistics can be reviewed ie legit sources) and then form your own opinion. Then you’ll understand how that actually rather benign 270% figure has been distorted.
4
@Ed
The tragedy of trump supporters: they believe the lies of a man who knows nothing. And, please do note: "dairy" isn't even covered by NAFTA. Try educating yourself, from experts.
The world is watching for the first time one of the world's best negotiator POTUS at work and he is on America's team. Canada would be very silly if they didn't at least talk and see what is being offered. They have nothing to lose just to see what the deal is.
3
Welcome Canada!
We will happily expand our trade relationship, unfair and one-sided as it often appears to both parties, recklessly exploiting each other, while both getting more wealthy all the same. Unhappy though to report that you'll have to start fresh with the UK, but these are strange times.
- Europe
2
I'm glad that my husband bought his new Challenger (made in Canada using parts from Mexico) last year before all this talk of tariffs, I have a feeling that it will depreciate at a much slower rate now that the price of new cars will be going up.
7
....flanked by his advisor, Jared kushner. Good grief.
48
Mexico signed the TPP, has a trade deal with the EU and now with the US. Mexico is sittin' pretty!
6
Yawn. He can't do this without congressional approval, and what he's done is incremental. Also, "I like to call this deal the United States–Mexico Trade Agreement. I think it’s an elegant name.". No. It's not elegant. It's simplistic and uninspired.
Call us when you can get the phone to work.
38
He is an ignorant despicable liar who has not an ounce of decency or interest in preserving trade and the jobs in the USA dependent on these important ties. He actually does not realize that congress needs to approve any agreement. The Khan's were right. Has the current temporary ( all politicians are temporary) occupant of the White House read the constitution let alone understand it.
36
Thank goodness Congress must approve of this ‘deal’ ...
17
This is your president. He failed at colouring a picture of your flag.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/shortcuts/2018/aug/27/trump-new-amer...
As a Canadian I listened to his little speech from the oval office. It seemed to me, a person with admittedly very little knowledge of this complex trade agreement; that DJT made an error in fact in about every second sentence.
How did you allow him to have this power?
58
The majority of us did not.
13
McCain got the last laugh. All the news is on his life and death and no one I paying attention to Trump's Folly
10
We we'll should pay attention to this hero's folly, and Senator McCain would be advising us to do so. Thank God Congress has to approve, but has been slow, absent, in disapproving him.
3
Congratulations Trump!...I mean, you make it sound like you are winning... but if you looked at the numbers they tell a different story. NAFTA a trilateral agreement between Mexico the USA and Canada: a G7 nation, one of the richest nations on the earth, and one of the few you could call a friend, to now only with Mexico..winning.
11
What do you mean only with Mexico? As a Mexican-Canadian (I have double nationality) I find this comment highly offensive. Yes, Canada might be one of the richest countries on earth, but its NAFTA negotiators have not been the smartest, and I have no words for the Prime Minister. Mexicans, on the other hand, tamed the beast and kept an almost identical deal with the U.S, which is remarkable after all the threats and bullying endured. It seems that you do not see Mexicans as valuable as Canadians, but guess what? if you and your "prideful" Canadian negotiators do not learn from the "inferior" Mexicans, Canada will be toast, because The United States is the biggest trading partner for Canada.
2
Re-read the comment, all the commenter was saying is how is it winning when you go from a three-party agreement to a two-party agreement.
10
In two years of insane, dangerous destruction of the US economy, the unilateral withdrawal of the US from NAFTA exceeds all other acts of apparent pointless reckless behavior by Donald Trump, and can only be explained by several factors:
Trump hates Hispanic Americans, and has lied about them over and over, declaring them here to rape pollage and destroy us.
The most bizarre campaign promise, was the wall along the US-Mexico border, replacing modern technology with something comparable to the Great Wall of China.
Then came ripping infants and children from their parents if a caught on US soil.
The reversal may have been due to Big Agriculture’s need for ‘seasonal workers’ particularly with the US near full employment, and the tradition of hiring Mexicans at sub-minimum wage to “do work beneath Americans’ dignity”, then conveniently deporting them when no longer needed.
In Canada, Justin Trudeau is loved by Canadians and has this ‘despicable’ desire to tell the truth, dismiss and Trump’s lies and believes in Canada’s tradition of not bowing to the US.
With the collapse of the Pullman Corp. and other rolling stock companies, Bombardier-Canada is the only NAFTA company making rail cars, and is not about open US factories.
Paper for “the failing newspaper industry, the enemy of the people” is mostly a Canadian product.Tariffs hurt them.
Lastly, Canada has legalized pot - pending provincial approval. Prohibition at US cost and Canada’s gain again.Trump’s base hates what US wants.
13
Cannabis becomes recreationally legal countrywide (federal law) as of Oct 17th, nothing to do with the provinces. How the provinces decide on distribution ie province controlled stores, mom and pop shops etc is their choice. Medicinal cannabis has been legal for a very long time; you can tell this by walking down most streets and inhaling.
Canada should go back to WTO agreement. Pursue the free trade with Asia and Europe, and if US tariffs our cars, major boycott US goods campaign. Also, no more Back stabbing Mexican vacations.
6
Same NAFTA different name, lots of noise and making it like he accomplished a grand deal, but in the end, nothing will change. We remember the wonderful, fantastic deal with North Korea, don’t we?
19
Again typical glorification from Trump for something he wrecked to start with.
18
Canada is a country with vast resources and a tiny population. The US is a country with a vast population but commensurately fewer resources. Trump sees that as a power imbalance that is a threat to America. He’s wrong, of course, like he is on most subjects. In theory, individual Canadians are much richer than Americans, and that’s partly true mostly because of access to socialised medicine which protects our income from crippling debt in the event of illness. However, for a nation of resources, Canadians pay a great deal more for daily commodities than our fellow Americans. Traditionally, Canadians in close proximity to the border have shopped south of the line because of considerable savings to their domestic economics. This is because Canada is shackled by monopolies which decrease competition. Take a look at the homogenous nature of our shopping malls which contain the same stores repeated from city to city, town to town, many franchise chains being American owned, Walmart, for example. Many government services, which are free or cheap in the US, are much higher in Canada. Disparities continue elsewhere too.
NAFTA has not generally improved the lot of the average Canuck, but it has protected monopolising interests on both sides of the border, as it was engineered to do. The small population/high resources attracts foreign investment rather than domestic start ups, and Canadians, unspoilt by choice, get to pay the price. NAFTA should be favourably renegotiated.
6
@Marcus Brant Some Canadian grocery shop in the US if they live close enough to the border to make it sensible. However, the milk and meat contain hormones, the chickens perhaps are bleached, and there are more GMO foods on the shelves. Canada needs to keep supply management for proper dairy production quotas to keep the farmers working and herds rightsized instead of giving them outright subsidies for dumping milk. We need to keep allowing Quebec farmers to sell unpasturized dairy products and protect farms for national unity. We need to protect our national waters; the US is drilling and making a mess in the Arctic where we are protecting wild life right next door.
Yes, we pay more for everything. We're used to it. We'll pay a premium for Made in Canada. And, we've been signing trade deals with other areas : EU almost finalized (except the new Italian government), China (they're coming back to see us), and so on like the TPP.
I'll dig up my roses and peonies to plant hot weather veg before I give Trump what he wants and more of the garden for veg and a chicken coop if necessary. We're stubborn up here.
32
The United States population is only 4.3% of the world population. Our trading partners, including Mexico, in the CPTPP combined with our trading partners in CETA make up 12% of the world population. Yes, we may have to tighten our belts a bit for the short term, but we'll get along quite nicely in the long term even without the U.S. as a trading partner. Moreover, our partners in CPTPP and CETA trust us far, far, more than they do the current U.S. administration. Additionally, if there is no trade agreement between Canada and the U.S., we may no longer be obligated to sell our electricity to the U.S. If that is the case, imagine the damage that would be done to the U.S. due to brownouts, blackouts, idle businesses, looting and other issues throughout the Northeastern U.S. Additionally, that secure supply of aluminum and steel that the U.S. used to count on just won't be available any more. Unless an exorbitant price is paid to us. And, of course, we can replace the U.S. products we buy by purchasing similar products from other countries. Trump knelt before Putin. Canadians kneel before no one.
41
Read the fine print and see it is much to do about nothing. Trump is great at believing he can make a diamond from a lump coal. As the world awaits the great deal maker to make one great deal Trump will be telling us how great Trump is.I am still waiting on the first check from Mexico to pay for the wall that 45 promised us.
14
I am in awe of President Trumps negotiating skills.
3
How so?
7
@Barbara
I believe it was sarcasm.
Once again I don't see any coverage of the reaction of labor to this agreement. Could it be that this is another agreement to benefit the 10% and corporations at the expense of the majority of our wotkers?
7
Because you think Unions are against more UAW jobs coming back to the US? Establishing a minimum standard of living fin those jobs... are you seriously saying that's for corporations? It's like you're in the matrix and just woking up. Trump actually cares about America.. it's crazy.
1
" ...he was ready to jettison Canada from the trilateral trade pact if the country did not get on board quickly."
Yet another impressive disconnect by Donald Trump of the history and importance of the nation's geographically closest ally, Canada, that has, unwavering, supported the cause and assertion of the 'allied nations' across many wars and conflicts -- World War I and World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Afghanistan War. In now predicable fashion Donald Trump conflates his impressive lack of historic knowledge with his 'world perspective'. Franz Kafka would have a difficult time envisioning a 'Donald Trump' in these difficult times.
18
@LongView Here's a link to the Government of Canada veterans' page showing Canada's contribution through use of Canadian metals and manufacturing during WWII.
And now, we're the enemy?
http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/historical-sheets/mate...
I thought we had an arrangement where Canada was part of the zone that the US could call on for assistance should they need it.
5
I think there has been a neglect of the trilateral agreement that really in the interest of Canadians to avoid NAFTA. While 50% of Americans are middle class and 47% of Mexicans are middle class 67% of Canadians are middle class.
There are 320 million Americans and 120 million Mexicans. Canada with 36 million is in no position to raise up the USA and Mexico to our standards and already we are experiencing a small drop in the percentage of our middle class. Supply management has sustained our family farmers while American farms disappear and America rather than lift up its farmers wants us to destroy our family farms.
I hope enough of us realize that if we surrender our ethics and values we will no longer be Canadians. We are far from perfect but a fairer and more just society cannot be realized as an economic satellite of the USA.
25
Think by now we all know that when it comes to any Trump proclamations you shouldn't hold your breath or believe them to be true.
Trump is so anxious for a win that he gets way ahead of himself declaring victory. Whether it is fixing the economy because he had a couple good months of jobs reports. Or firing off a few dozen cruise missiles to solve the Syria situation. Or talking with Kim and claiming the North Korean problem is now gone.
Maybe in his mind he is doing all this great stuff. But reality doesn't match his rhetoric.
13
If we just look at this economically, a new agreement as outlined would be an economic improvement for the United States. This resembles coalition bargaining as far as the Canada-US-Mexico triangle and it is an effective negotiation tactic.
The current level of trade deficits are hurting us badly and clearly creating a difficult circumstance for our future. Yes our President rubs feathers the wrong way and gets tarred and feathered in response. But business is business and politics are politics. hey Canada! We still love you! It will be OK.
2
Yes, why don’t you look at it economically - and even better, read up on it. Then you’d find all that talk about ‘terrible’ trade deficits with Canada is a bunch of nonsense designed to rile the gullible.
3
Trade wars are easy to win Trump bragged. Not when you are dealing with Russia and China . The businesses who are upset now with Canada not included should get hit hard in the recession Wall Street is coming on Trumps watch. You voted for this man now learn from you mistake.
11
It looks like Mexico has thrown Canada under the bus and that Trump's divide and conquer strategy has succeeded. Next Canada will throw the Maritimes under the bus and agree to give up on the supply management principles, which are essential to the economy of, among others, Northern Nova Scotia. So goes the food chain.
6
@James Mensch Well, if the deal Mexico and Trump worked out isn't signed by the time the term of the current Mexican president expires, there will be no Trump deal as the incoming president is a populist like Trump and, it is said, doesn't like trade deals.
May you live in interesting times really can be a curse.
Short history lesson: most of the Maritimes were part of the original country called Canada. Newfoundland and Labrador voted to join instead of remaining independent in 1949. Quebec is not just a Province, it is a French province, the people of Quebec are considered a nation (proclaimed by PM Harper), it is one of the two founding peoples of Canada, not to be written off. New Brunswick is officially bilingual. And every province has welcomed refugees and asylum seekers.
2
@Heather Inglis. As a Canadian, I am aware of our history.
So we are to believe that a man who is mesmerized by a speaker phone, can't decide at what height to fly the flag has corrected all the wrongs with the worst trade deal in the world by calling it the US Mexico trade deal rather than NAFTA.
25
Kind of like believing Quebec is a French province instead of a Canadian one!
3
@Lambros Balatsias Or believing the United States is united.
1
Maybe Trump should endorse autarky. Then everything would be made in the USA. But would that benefit the people in America?
Anyone who has a bachelor's degree in economics (and many who don't) can tell you that trade among nations can lead to both countries being better off. The focus on commodity trade is nonsense. What happens when the US exports $800 million and imports $1 billion from a country? That foreign country is investing in the US by essentially purchasing financial instruments (cash, bonds, stocks, etc.). Is there no benefit from foreign investment in the US?
If everything consumed in the US were to be produced in the US, people will get less and pay more. Some may prefer everything being produced in the US, but it does not come without a cost.
5
Congratulations. America is home to The. Most. Hated. Man. In the world.
32
That’s a great quote from Mr Nieto at the end of the article; reminds me of some polite things that might be said after a poor performance.
5
Thank you President Trump. Perfecting the art of the deal to Make America Great Again.
7
@Brewster Millions Can you tell me exactly when America stopped being great?
4
Why are we treating Canada like an enemy?
35
Why has Trudeau treated Trump like an enemy? Because for the last two years he's decided it was cool to be part of the"resistance". Whether that's a good move for a Canadian Prime Minister is up to Canadians to decide. Trudeau looks shut out and incompetent. Every other friendly country leader has managed to navigate Trump except him.
2
Because they are a democracy and we are a fascist dictatorship. Trump can't stand the contrast.
21
Mexico should say “ no bueno “ unless Canada is fully on board.
16
I wonder if the President thinks the proposed deal requires Mexico to pay for a wall to keep Mexicans out of the United States. I suppose that would have been non-negotiable so the President could tick off a campaign promise as being kept.
1
Credit where credit is due: Congratulations Donald Trump on turning NAFTA into a deal half as good as NAFTA.
46
With the political power about to change and a so called socialist coming in, one would imagine that present administration (Mexico)would like to have something that would favor their interests rather than take a chance on the new guy.
3
It’s always the same pattern. As stated in his biography - “ create chaos, manipulate the media...renegotiate the deal “
He seldom varies from this low life, but street smart technique.
In the future , assuming we get there , look for an exponential ramping up of the first two elements, as smoke for the grand denouement and Houdini like escape.
Forewarned should be forearmed.
10
Many people don’t understand Trump’s hostility toward Canada. Could Trump’s narcissism have anything to do with it? Trudeau is much younger, handsome, slimmer, smarter, charming than Trump. Jealousy is now orange with envy.
38
You can't deal with Canada because it's a threat to our national security. Maybe a deal with Mexico will help them pay for the wall. We're still waiting on the check.
5
Trump has a deal with Mexico? Is this like his deal with North Korea?
18
Lets be fully honest here. The world badly needs American consumers and American protection to keep their economies afloat. They all want to make a deal, as good and possible, fully knowing it won’t be as good as prior deals. You really think Canada and Mexico can survive economic chaos if they don't sell to USA. Canada is already overflowing with surplus workers, legal and refugees. They just don’t want to admit or accept, the Canadian way of life will be no more.
5
@Realist
In reality and contrary to your uninformed bloviating, America has a trade "surplus" with Canada and 35 of the 50 states sell more of their exports to Canada than any other country on the planet.
Get informed or otherwise don't bother.
47
@Deus
Wrong again. Canada does not Count goods passing from different countries to USA through Canada while USA does. If China wants to bypass tariffs and they ship through Canada to USA, does it count towards Canadian trade deficit or Chinese trade deficit.
Either way, even if the trade was even, USA economy is much larger and can withstand a lot more than Canada. If push came to shove, the world would side with USA over Canada everyday.
1
@Realist
The unemployment rate overall in Canada as of July, 2018 is 5.8%. Given that Canada's rate has historically been roughly double the US rate due to the nature of our economy, that's not bad. Surplus workers? We import temporary farm workers for seasonal farm work, have done for decades. Refugees and aslyum workers are busy learning one of the official languages in government run classes, and settling in; some are working.
https://tradingeconomics.com/canada/unemployment-rate
7
35 out of the 50 U.S. states sell more of their exports to Canada, by far, than any country in the world which means, by definition and in actuality, the U.S. has a "trade surplus" with Canada NOT the other way around that this President and his minions continue to bloviate about.
"Keep it up Donnie". Canadians have pretty much reached the point where they have had it "up to to here" with his petty, vindictive childishness. If we are going to have a meaningful agreement, we would much rather wait, absorb the blowback and eventually end up better off in the long run being able to deal with "adults".
35
The televised phone call was a publicity stunt in which Trump tried to look in charge while bragging about his negotiating ability. Trump seemed engaged when talking, but bored and uncomprehending while the lame duck Mexican president talked. Few details were announced and Trump got in a few digs at the Canadians. By excluding Canada at least for the time being, Trump has weakened NAFTA's role as a somewhat integrated and enlarged economic unit. Congress has to approve Trump's claimed deal. If Trump thought he could divert the narrative from his current legal difficulties, he thought wrong.
18
Congress has to approve any changes to NAFTA, right? If so, this is just more Trumpian attention seeking.
23
I’ll keep on buying Canadian thanks.
United States, Let me know when you’ve decided to get rid of your problem.
44
I can’t help from wondering if this has something to do with McCain and Trump’s desperation to steal the spotlight.
19
Canada's auto industry is comprised mostly of GM, Ford and Chrysler.We have no canadian owned car industry. I understand the auto makers liked NAFTA, but who am I to have an opinion?
This guy you call President is not our friend nor yours. His wins are anything that make him look good personally. I recognize it's been a while that's happened. Now, i wonder what's keeping him from invading us in Canada so he can claim a win since he views us as a security threat in spite of America's trade surplus with us.
Silly me. I always thought we friends and allies while it seems we were really foes and security threats. How could I have missed that?
52
Please don’t forget about Russia’s hand in this.
Canada and the U.S. will always be “Children of a Common Mother.” We are family.
6
A common mother?? who, pray tell? France was first in Eastern Canada, and still is in the hearts and minds of many of us!
And in the U.S. ? Certainly Spain, France, Russia, and oh yes “little England” for those in New England. And then there’s the rest of us who are in the majority from all different countries! In most states of this country I’ve heard more Spanish than English and in many metropolitan areas more Slavic and Asian languages than English. Seems to me our “Common Mother” is the rest of the entire planet!
2
People need to understand that free trade deals favor the countries with lower wages. NAFTA greatly benefited Mexican labourers at the expense of Canadian and American manufacturing jobs. Same thing has happened with China.
Yes, Canadian and American consumers get cheaper electronic goods, etc., but that comes at the expense of seeing many of our neighbours losing their stable full time jobs.
I would rather pay higher prices and buy Canadian in order to help preserve our middle class.
Free trade's raison d'être is at the behest of large corporations and nothing else. And they're more than happy to write off the middle class.
15
Those Chinese and Mexicans are the largest consumers of American products and services.
3
You need to cite your source of information. Mexico is a large importer of USA goods????
2
Hey, what happened to our wall? I thought that as far as Mexico that was priority #1, with the Mexicans paying for it! Now, it seems that's forgotten. The next time President Trump comes out to the county fairgrounds here I'm going to get up in the front row and give him heck!
9
It’s all political hogwash for his base, that he stopped nafta!!! It’s probably even worse!!!!
11
Can't wait to hear about how Mexico is paying for the wall with this great new deal Donny worked!
20
Hey, this is great! There is no sense in having a big deficit with Mexico. Hopefully this will make Mexico a better country for the people there and their folks will not see the need to come here illegally so much. This sounds like a win/win.
7
Dealing with a Mexican Prez ready to leave office, just maybe the new Mexican Prez will tear up the agreement as the Don is tearing up NAFTA!
11
Trump may well imagine he can benefit from wrapping himself in the flag in a fight with Canada.
Of course those committed to resist him won't see it that way, but with other Americans he might get a substantial benefit in a time that is otherwise getting difficult for him.
Pick a fight to hide behind? Would Trump do that?
Indignation in and for Canada would only further his scheme among those willing to see it at all. Those not willing to be manipulated this way had best be careful not to walk right into it without even seeing what he is doing.
6
We are no longer a good partner for the USA, we made that clear when one of the first pieces of legislation of the current government was one that said adherence to basic human and workers rights was mandatory in trade pacts. We have been rebuked by China, The Philippines, Saudi Arabia and the USA. We like to believe that we treat the citizens of other countries with the same respect we expect our own citizens to be treated. We will not send our Boy and Girl Scouts to the USA for fear they will not be treated alike. We have only one class of citizenship and it is Canadian.
We are terrified of losing American dominance of our economy because our standard of living is so high and Europe is an ocean away.
Russia and China are not our friends because we believe our middle-class liberal democracy has made us so Canadian that we trust our government and our better than American standard of living. Above all we believe there is an equilibrium of size of government and taxation that requires constant change to suit the environment. We are what might of happened in America when in 1964 reached its zenith in its evolution of liberal middle -class democracy had decided that government of the People was a joke and government of THE PEOPLE was conservative even in a country dedicated to equality through evolution.
We are not perfect and never will be but we are trying for truth and justice.
24
The damage that the president is doing to our trading relationship to Canada while he acts like a bully is irrational and destructive to our long time partnership, and is causing real harm to our overall alliances with Canada. It is the president who is not negotiating fairly and every day that goes by exposes the missteps that he is taking in his extensive trade wars. It was recently announced that the US will now pay 4.7 billion in compensation to farmers who are being negatively effected by the president's trade-conflict deals.
35
Looking at the actual tweaks to the existing NAFTA, they sound pretty good for Canada. The requirement that at least 40-60% of auto content be done by workers earning at least US$16/hour will be music to Canadian government and auto unions' ears, since Mexico's very low wages were hurting everyone else.
Increasing N. American auto content to 75% is also not a problem, although it will drive up auto prices for US buyers.
NAFTA review every six years that extend it for another 16 years -- a huge difference with Trump's demand for renegotiation every five years -- lets governments monitor the agreement and gives businesses certainty. Given the rate at which technology is changing, the period makes sense. This removes a major stumbling block for Canada.
It's beginning to look like it was smart for Canada to stay on the sidelines and let the US and Mexico work out their bilateral differences. It shouldn't be hard for us to get over the few remaining low hurdles.
One thing I noted, however. President Trump said, “with Canada ... the easiest thing we can do is to tariff their cars coming in. It’s a tremendous amount of money and ... we take in a lot of money the following day.” This implies that he doesn't yet understand that it's US buyers of Canadian cars who will be paying all that money, not Canadians.
17
As a Democrat I will be happy with this deal if it does, in fact, help American workers. Even if it does, (gulp), help Donald Trump politically. Obviously, NAFTA needs revision and updating.
As for the Canadian issue -- why is there an issue? It seems to me that revisions to NAFTA that help us in the U.S. would also help Canadians. We are both rich countries, with deep manufacturing ties and supply chains running across our borders.
I don't get Trump's strange behavior with the Canadians. His bleating on about dairy is a red herring. He's a New Yorker after all. What New Yorker isn't happy to pay 20% more for milk to help the upstate dairy farmers? Less facetiously...every country has its sacred cows and every trade negotiator knows this. That's the give and take of negotiation. Dairy is an easier fix than lumber, that's for sure.
14
@Duncan I know this is hard to believe, but the Quebec dairy farmers are a national unity issue. It would take an hour to explain, so please just take my word for it.
1
Trump's idea of negotiation makes protection rackets seem benign.
20
Dude's going to make Canada join the European Union. #can_exit
10
This "trade deal" is like when you were a child, and you wrapped an item already present in your home, and gave it to your mother as a birthday or Christmas present. What a shameless farce this president is.
45
Few Canadians take your President’s threat-of-the-day seriously:
1. He made many such threats over the past 12 months that are beyond his jurisdictional or domestic political capacity & only make sense from his mistaken belief that this gives his Administration a negotiation advantage. This is becoming tiresome & is transparent nonsense.
2. If negotiations with Canada (or both Canada & Mexico) break down, he can give the 6-month notice of US withdrawal pursuant to NAFTA. He would, however, require Congress to pass enabling legislation to give full effect to that withdrawal & the requisite support for such legislation is unlikely. Significant uncertainty & economic chaos would ensue if notice was thus given because of (a) the complex multi-national supply chains built up under NAFTA, & (b) the uncertainty regarding the jurisdiction of a President.
3. Will Congress passively accept such unconstitutional Presidential overreach?
4. Even if the US withdraws, NAFTA remains in effect between Canada & Mexico unless & until Mexico also withdraws. Also, there is serious doubt that Mexico & the US could conclude a new treaty to supplant NAFTA regarding their bilateral trade without lengthy legislative proceedings in both countries.
5. Does the US want to create chaos throughout the North American auto industry? Does it want to defy its WTO obligations & the norms of international trade (& be seen by all nations to be a problematic trading partner)?
43
Donald Trump is a fake President who makes fake deals.
39
it is NAFTA..but not as good. Trump has no idea how to negotiate. we all know that he's a complete buffoon when it comes to the sort of thing.
29
"The president’s apparent willingness to move on without Canada ..."
Apparently, Mexico was also willing to move on without Canada.
5
Mexico and Canada have the TPP
18
Hillary Clinton had her faults but I'mm pretty sure she would not have picked a fight with Canada! Trump doesn't understand long standing commitments and even though Canada is one of our closest allies, Mexico and Canada are best buds. Doubtful that Mexico would leave Canada out of a deal.
23
The US has a trade surplus with Canada...you sell more to us than we sell to you. So a "no deal" situation will hurt American businesses as much if not more than Canadian ones.
And I believe we should diversify our trade relationships anyway.
35
@Wendy
You are forgetting about the 10x multiplier that our population advantage gives us. A 1% drop in our GDP here equals a 10% drop in yours. Simple math but painful if you ignore it.
I live an hour from Montreal. Canadian and American businesses are interdependent here. For example, buses and subway cars are manufactured in our area (Plattsburgh) by Volvo N America and Bombardier. Locals are provided with good jobs and Canadians have access to the much larger US. marketplace.
Visitors from Quebec and Ontario are welcome daily occurrence. I can't say the same for Donald Trump. For a brilliant businessman, he is clueless concerning Our ties with Canada.
57
@KSwho thinks he’s brilliant?
5
Trump again throws a verbal sop to his base who doesn't get the fact that he had done NOTHING, meaning the relationship with foreign workers is still the same, i.e. the jobs (the jobs of the 'base') are still going to go to less expensive foreign workers. Trump has really conned his base, and it is truly sad. The guy is a crook.
21
Mexico says "no deal without Canada." Wake up Mr. Trump your deal making stinks.
15
Oh yeah. But did he get them to pay for the WALL???
11
I'm sure that Canada is quite capable of negotiating their own deal with Mexico.
19
@Robert Blankenship
Actually, Canada already has a deal with Mexico as part of the CPTPP. Further, even if the US withdraws from NAFTA, NAFTA remains in force between Canada & Mexico unless & until Mexico also withdraws.
7
@bob adamson
Thanks.
Of course he should threaten to leave Canada out of the deal.
@Dixon Duval
So the US doesn’t want to trade with Canada? Isn’t that cutting off your nose to spite your face? Good luck and best wishes.
32
A majority of the comments are far more informative than the underlying article.
Taken paragraph-by-paragraph, the article simply does not measure up to the reality of what actually took place.
6
Well, I guess that's what Mr. Putin wants, to divide the US and Canada. Donny gets a gold star today.
24
This is as done a deal as North Korea no longer has nuclear arms.
Expect more expensive and less reliable goods as artificial political trade barriers are erected over market demand. There is nothing 'Free' in the revisions of NAFTA. At best if Canada does get some modification to the proposed changes, it will become NATA otherwise it will essentially be NADA, zip, zilch, nothing to Make America Great Again.
7
Did Trump just sign up for a higher minimum wage? And at $16 an hour? Somewhere in Texas heads are exploding...
15
Trump is WAY out of his league. He just doesn't know it. Here's trusting that Canada will call his bluff loudly. Trudeau is a class act, no comparison whatsoever with our classless president. And Mexico should do the same. I'd love to hear Vicente Fox weigh in, as in, "you can stuff your blanking trade deal."
21
ONE OF TRUMP'S CLEAREST MOCKING Of reason, decency and common sense was on display when he said that flipping "ought to be illegal." Why's that? Because Trump flips on just about everybody and everything--because he can. He abuses the law and the legal system, turning them into instruments of torture to wear down his opponents, who most often have valid complaints against his reported violation of legally negotiated contracts. Trump's vile character is unbounded. Unbounded by decency, propriety, fairness and empathy. And a capped off with a total lack of remorse.
14
Why is it that each time I read about Trump it is a thuggish move that he has concluded or threatened? Luckily the American Legion is stronger than this US President, and today gave credence not only to John McCain's heroic service for America, but to my contention that morality and decency must still be a part of the American psyche, instead of the "naked pursuit of power, regardless of the method used to achieve it." Achieving deals based on might rather than right. I now hope that there is more moral fiber visible as it has been shown that this President who uses villainy to achieve ends will not succeed, that he has in fact had to eat humble pie for not the first time since taking office. I also hope this will not go unnoticed by the Russian threat that we face.
14
Captain Bankruptcy trying to negotiate another deal?
He still hasn’t closed any of the others yet.
18
Believe me, with 90% of Canadians holding a disapproving opinion of Trump, it is no certain thing that PM Trudeau will sign up. It certainly won't hurt him politically with an election just around the corner next year. Canadians are tired of being bullied and having illegal steel and aluminum and lumber and...tariffs imposed on them and being insulted in general when we are the USA's BEST friend period since FOREVER. Besides, we only have to wait a few more months for Trump to be behind bars and a more reasonable and traditional approach to our historic relationship.
788
@Brian Bailey
Why would I care what 90% of Canadians think of our president? I have a terrible opinion of your P.M.
Do you care what I think?
2
yes, thank you for your patience. This joker won't be around for long!
6
@derek
Americans never do care what Canadians think, and we know it.
3
If Donald Trump thinks Canada is just going to roll over like so many of his sycophants do, he is sadly mistaken. We all for fair trade; but how many times does it have take for the demagogue in the White House to realize Canada was the one with a slight trade "defIcit" with the U.S. under NAFTA?! Most Canadians will punish Trudeau if he does not push back HARD against the fool in the White House. Anyone who has not studied Canadian history and what we sacrificed in both W.W. 1& 2 knows NOTHING of our character. We do not sweat clowns like Donald Trump!
76
@Greg Hodges
The performance of Canada, excepting Quebec, in WW 1 & 2 was magnificent. They "punched way above their weight" in terms of military might and attitude.
Since then... Canada's military is a bunch of chocolate soldiers/sailors that make the UK's look mighty. Its a wonderful country with great people but they aren't the power they think they are. Doesn't help matters that their PM is a clown. Trump is certainly vulgar but Trudeau is a child with ADHD. The vacation pretending to be a diplomatic visit to India recently was humorous to say the least.
One thing about Canadian history is that they have never had fight the way some other Anglo countries have. UK with their history, the US with our Revolution/Civil War/etc, Australia going from convicts to a nation. Canada has always been the good child who obeyed the rules.
1
I'm sure the Canadians who died (fighting in America's illegal and pointless wars) in Vietnam and the Middle East would take significant offense to that
3
@Rocket J Squrriel, If my Dad, a World War 2 vet, were alive, he might have something to say about your revolting comment.
1
Remember, on the campaign trail, when Trump said we would have “vastly better health care at much lower prices.”? I don’t begrudge American auto workers getting paid a survival wage, hopefully with decent health insurance, but I’ll be interested to see how much car prices increase. A recent trip to a big home center has shown me how much steel fencing products have increased. So much so that I altered my plans and didn’t buy any. The lower middle class shops low cost out of necessity. Imagine the cost of an iPhone if entirely made in the US. I wouldn’t begrudge a decent wage for those workers either but the wealthy would have to make up for the lost sales among those on the lower rungs of the economic ladder. Studies show that companies allocated just 7% of their recent tax cut gains to workers. With consumers being 70% of GDP, the more affluent will have to make up for the less. The tax cut threatens Soc Security and Medicare benefits, which must be factored into the spending and saving of everybody up through the middle class. It’s a numbers game when there’s not much (or no) discretionary excess.
10
As a Canadian, it is quite clear to me that Trump does not like Canada, and is willing to make it a "villain" in the phony trade fight he wages on behalf of his credulous supporters. He has lied consistently about the existence of a trade imbalance between the two countries, despite knowing the trade is generally balanced between Canada and the USA. He treats Kim Jong Un better than Justin Trudeau, and Saudi Arabia better than Canada.
If you think Trump's "shenanigans" are not having an effect on US-Canada relations, I can tell you from personal experience that this is wrong. I haven't heard so much anti-Americanism up here in 40+ years.
787
@ACJ What does "generally balanced" mean in your eyes. I only ask because you very carefully chose those words. If they're not balanced...you folks should get busy and suggest Mr. Trudea do some horse trading.
We're all about Fairness here in the U.S., which is ironic since that's what Trudeau said a month ago was his goal after serving in his current role. Fairness.
2
Most Americans know JUST how horrible the unindicted felon-in-chief’s actions are to US-Canada relations. It’s infuriating to watch the arrogance, ignorance, and blustering incompetence of Dolt45 on the world stage. It is beyond disheartening for any American who likes and respects Canada to hear about the growing anti-Americanism in your country. But I understand, as I read about this latest petty slam toward Trudeau and Canada, and wonder if there is anything that this clown parade administration WON’T end up completely wrecking before they are through?!
9
@Erica Smythe
Unfortunately, when the US says “fairness”, the rest of the world hears bullying.
1
Hmmmm. interesting.
Mexico calls it understanding and Trump calls it great deal.
7
Just don't call it NAFTA... Poor students do the same thing, minor change to something existing and change the title and claim it is their own. How sad it will fool his base.
This is to distract from honoring McCain.
28
Hmm. I think I’ll call it afta-nafta.
24
In essence, kiss the keystone pipeline deal with Canada dead in the water. I was against it anyway. We don't need filthy tar sands piped near the Ogallala aquifer in the middles of America. A pipe burst oil spill would be an environmental disaster.
8
@buffnick
No one wants an environmental disaster. If you want a rail disaster like Lac Megantic, I’m sure you don’t. No one does. The U.S. is quite welcome to not import any Canadian energy whatsoever, and we will sell it elsewhere. You have no idea how fed up Canadians are.
23
@buffnick. But you apparently have no problem importing Saudi oil with it’s extraordinary cost in human blood, global political conflict and an outsized influence on the well being of Middle Eastern people that borders on terrorism. I support th pipeline because we need to take responsibility for our own greedy consumption of the resource. Part of that is pumping our own oiland holding oil companies responsible for environmental safeguards. It costs money, filthy money
Without specific details and signatures, this is simply another load of trump. We've all been there, done that and some of us recognize reality.
13
The details are sketchy still, but the ones cited look good for Mexico and Mexican workers. Hard too see where America and American workers will be better off. This looks a modest update to NAFTA, relatively reasonable given the changing Mexican economy over the years.
Bear in mind that Mexico's manufacturing base and workforce is considerably stronger than a quarter century ago when NAFTA was signed. The change from 62.5% North American auto part manufacture to 75% for duty-free import is one Mexico now has good prospects of absorbing itself, rather than importing more American parts for inclusion in cars assembled in Mexico. Similarly, the requirement that 40-45% of Mexican auto workers be paid at least $16 an hour is not the huge leap and barrier to Mexican production that it would have been 24 years ago. The groundwork capital investment in Mexican manufacturing and related financial and physical infrastructure has already occurred. American businesses considering moving production to Mexico can more straightforwardly compare Mexican to American wages than 24 years ago, with $16 an hour for some, not all, Mexican autoworkers still coming out the clear winner.
In sum, a "deal" that will not bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. in any significant number, nor much stem the flow outward. It looks a minor renegotiation that likely could have been had without Trump's self-congratulatory belligerence, which leaves even this modest update still very much up in the air.
7
Trade deals are easy. Speaker phones not so much.
12
Many comments display an ignorance of NAFTA that is disturbing. NAFTA was not created in a vacuum, and it was not blindly foisted on America. It was the product of a year and a half of negotiations that included environmentalists, trade union representatives, economists, as well as industry representatives and government representatives.
NAFTA was fairly well intentioned, and worked pretty well, until vulture capitalists moved in and exploited the opportunities the loopholes opened. Once a few bad players started to make huge profits by buying up struggling industries and selling off assets (including making huge profits by converting pension funds for cheap annuities and cutting or eliminating retiree health care support), many other industries were forced to follow suit due to shareholder pressure. It was a vicious cycle that devastated many companies especially throughout the late 90's, and continues today.
It only demonstrates that any trade agreement is vulnerable as long as the wolves patrol Wall Street.
31
Canada has 35 million people, like California. We buy US cars (me included). Also, a million other things - daily
He complains about dairy. You have huge farm subsidies. What's the difference?
46
Q) Name one thing the GOP has done in the last 50 years that has benefited the majority of Americans?
A) There isn't one. No one single thing. And that's not hyperbole, it's a fact.
The reason is simple. The GOP works exclusively for the 1%, and no one else. If you're not in the 1%, then they don't really represent you, or even care about you. Period. And their utter disdain for the vast majority of Americans can hardly be measured.
So, while it's not surprising that they haven't won the vote for the White House in the last 30 years, it is surprising that they ever get more than 1% of the total - considering that's the percentage of people they truly represent.
Donald Trump is no different. And it's a foregone conclusion that when he leaves office, or is mercifully removed, the list of GOP accomplishments for the majority of Americans will remain at exactly zero.
Make no mistake, Donald Trump, despite his oath to the contrary, does not serve this country. He serves only himself, and the 1% who are his abettors.
This latest "diversion" is precisely that. Another parade of lies, and meaningless, hollow promises designed to keep the base distracted with political theater, while he and his fellow Republicans continue to raid the coffers, and destroy the planet for short term profit.
38
Trump announces a a news trade deal, but in fact there is no new trade deal. At most, there's a general agreement on how to resolve key issues in their trade relationship as part of the NAFTA talks. It's, in the words of the US trade representative's office, "a preliminary agreement in principle." How many other world "agreements" announced by Trump have turned out to fizzle into nothing? North Korea still has its nuke program.
Meanwhile, on the day Trump wants everyone to be talking about the "amazing" new thing with Mexico, instead everyone is talking about the half-mast flag kerfuffle caused by the acts of a president with the emotional maturity of a spoiled 7 year old.
31
If Trump thinks it is OK to decide where a business sources it's suppliers and locates it's operations; maybe, Trump Enterprises should be forced to bring all of it's hotels and golf courses back to America or face a huge tax on all of it's domestic sales.
12
Trump is taking a page out of the Putin PlayBook - make big announcements, tell the people how wonderful they are, how strong their leader is, how strong their country is but deliver nothing. if Trump gets his way on the car deals, watch car prices increase and workers loose their jobs.
The only problem for those that try to give a reality check to the Trump supporters and his crew is the length of time it takes for the consequences to materialize. By the time the economy catches up to Trump's economic games, the Republicans will be out of power and the Democrats will be left holding the bag. Trump will sell his folks on the economic hard times being the fault of the liberal deep state.
16
If it didn't also involve the complete destruction of America, Trump's arrogant incompetence would be comical.
21
Trump acts like a sicko arsonist. He starts the fire and enjoys watching everyone struggle to put it out. The question is, what does he personally have to gain from this new deal ? It is well established that he has never done anything for the poor and working people other then refuse to pay them, when their work was completed and also defraud them in casinos and universities. Everything that he does is for his benefit.
13
When if at all,do the possibilities of Trump using fast track legislation to get a simple yes or no to get out of Nafta, have an agreement with Mexico, and use WTO rules to trade with Canada? It seems Canada is inclined to stall while Trump battles impeachment. Canadians know Democrats won’t tinker with trade issues, they would compliment Trudeau’s environment model . Democrats would also redo-tax legislation and Canada would’t Have to consider lowering their recent increases. All these issues make clear, all 3 countries are very different,with very different priorities. The nafta auto pact is worn out.
As a Canadian, my pipe dream is hearing Mr. Trudeau telling Mr. Trump to take a hike.
73
North America’s Fabulous Trump Achievement?
It’s like NAFTA, but not exactly.
7
Of course Trump is dismissive of America’s closest ally, biggest source of oil and most important trading partner. He is a small man who demonstrates, each and every day of his ill-begotten presidency, that he is devoid of reflection, logic, facts, decency or common sense.
56
What wall? The old broken down fence that is being repaired here and there?
5
Did Trump strike a "NAFTA deal with Mexico" or did he begin negotiations with one of three countries that have signed the multilateral NAFTA treaty? He has proposed a couple of minor change to NAFTA for true. Upping slightly the US content of parts and levying a 2.5% tariff on cars imported from Mexico that don't meet that new definition. He also clearly gave something up for those concessions that he has not announced. This announcent will be much like his announcent of the "largest inaugural day crown in history" or "North Korea is no Longer a Threat" or "My Health Care Plan is much better, Much more Comprehensive and will cost Much Much less." He is big on announcements and very weak on results.
16
Good lord, what bad reporting. Many details, as I see them, have yet to be ironed out. Trump didn't "strike a deal" any more than he did with Kim Jong-Un -- it's an agreement to keep working on a deal.
26
To "catapult the propaganda" is to be complicit. To present transgressions of norms and the law, foreign and domestic,as normal or unremarkable, is to be complicit.
3
Is no one at the DNC aware that this plays to Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania? Key states that Hillary forgot about.
That being tough on Canadian milk tariffs may play well in Wisconsin? And that repel of coal regulations (which is dying a natural death) plays to West Virginia? That there are very vulnerable senators in those states?
Or are the Grand Vizers of the DNC to busy in the Hamptons and Martha's Vineyard to grasp that they may be out flanked by a game show host.
22
He doesn't like the name NAFTA. Many Americans and
most Mexicans share an antipathy to President Trump's name and with a great deal of justification. He is not a legitimate President and is unqualified to hold any public office. He is tiresome and a demagogue of moral turpitude and malignant impulsiveness. Just an embarrassment to America and her ideals!
12
Paul Ryan will you please do your job before you run off into the sunset as the worst and least productive Speaker. You should be charged with dereliction of duty and obstruction of justice for supporting the Nunes campaign to block ans discredit the Mueller investigation.
14
Cynic or not? Why am I suspicious that Trump happens to announce this now, at the same time John McCain is the center of attention?
21
This is no deal at all but rather a significant step (maybe.) Well-integrated commerce among the three nations cannot be simply abandoned without serious commercial disruption. Without Canada, that would the result. This not a simple real estate deal, but a complex negotiation among three nations. You can’t unring that bell.
11
Requiring a certain percentage of cars made by auto workers to make $14 an hour to avoid low tariffs means more cars made in Canada or the USA and fewer cars made in Mexico. That's because auto workers in Canada and the USA already make more than that and auto workers in Mexico make less. It doesn't change any workers wage, it changes where the car is made.
There is nothing in this deal that Canada would oppose - it helps Canada and the USA and hurts Mexico. Mexico agreed because they benefit from the rest of NAFTA.
7
@Charles
Agreed. I'm a Bay area liberal and I like that updated deal. Don't just hate Trump just to hate Trump. Divisiveness in this country is the biggest problem we have.
2
This Donald's version of NAFTA is all about commodities and fossil powered cars. The latter is doomed like the coal industries. Electric cars and railroad will dominate because of renewable energy, solar and wind. Digital infrastructure is dominated by Apple, Google, Amazon, Uber, Facebook, Microsoft and Alibaba. Mexico and Canada have no say. Narcissistic Donald is stuck to 1950's economy. What is Jared doing in the photo op? He should be lawyering up for next Mueller's move.
8
No mention of the wall. So Mexico agreed to pay? Enquiring minds want to know.
13
Trump deserves no credit for this or for anything else he does for the next two years. It's simply a suspiciously timed distraction from his felonious conspiracy to violate campaign laws. We don't need Russian collusion anymore. He told Cohen to pay off Stormy and the Playboy model. Done.
We've been searching for the best way to end his presidency since before he was inaugurated. Just fell into our laps.
Of course, we will set in place a cycle of retribution which can bring down our democracy. From now on, the losing party will use impeachment as a weapon to get rid of the winner. If you look hard enough, you'll find something which can be used as a pretense. Then, express fake but horrific moral outrage and let the impeachment proceedings roll.
2
Why doesn't Trump just build a border with Canada? This man has created so much chaos in the world and has alienated his allies. He is not concerned about this because he doesn't support democracy (what Americans have always stood for throughout history). Rather, he adores the autocracies. Power and money are his allies.
16
"...allows American companies to operate in Mexico and Canada without tariffs..." Well, so much for his "promises" to allegedly bring those very jobs back to the USA. Cannot Trump keep any promise that does not benefit either him or his billionaire cronies? I also wonder just when his supporters are going to wake up and realize they cannot smell the coffee because they can't afford it anymore. It's an import!
5
'Done deal' just like the one with North Korea? "New and improved" like that beautiful plan to replace the Affordable Care Act with... never mind, there is no other plan.
To quote the Commander in Chief of the Department of Obfuscation and Mendacity himself, 'We'll wait and see what happens."
7
Canada needs to continue negotiating trade agreements with countries other than the United States. With Trump the United States has become neither a reliable or trustworthy partner in any negotiations. Canada seeks trade agreements not threats and headlines from the circus in Washington.
46
So exactly how does this benefit Mr Trump personally? That really is the question.
10
The US is outsourcing manufacture jobs and services not because of trade agreements but because wages are incredibly less outside the US. It's cheaper to send our recycling to China than to do it here in the states. Summer jobs at Busch Garden, Six Flags, every ocean front hotel and tourist destination or filled by summer workers from Russia, Asia and Middle East with temp work visas.
Great you broke NAFTA and now you're bringing it back with a new name. Make some real change and make it more costly to offshore.
5
The OLD Nafta:
"Becoming a steel worker liberated her, then her job moved to Mexico"
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/14/us/union-jobs-mexico-rexnord.html
What is in the NEW version of Nafta for people like Shannon Mulcahy?
1
Call it 'NADA' without Canadian buy in and congressional approval.
14
Seems a lot like the North Korea deal. Headlines agreed upon, substance later or never.
12
With the usual slow pace of Congressional action on trade deals, it will be long after the mid-terms before the price of cars from Mexico is obvious to US consumers. It sure looks like this first attempt at divide and conquer will have loads of critics if car prices move up significantly. Perhaps Congress will save us from this latest deal by the orange man's "best people".
2
Well, that was a lot of trouble and hot air for very little..
8
Didn't the GOP just spend several years saying that agreements between executives of government are non binding, potentially unconsitutional, and literally the devil provided that one of the parties is named "Obama?"
13
First he bangs our heads against the wall. Then he stops.
We’re so happy now. “Big win” for the president. Bravo! Bravo!
6
This is all about "winning" with Trudeau. Likely pretty much the same deal any President could have achieved with Mexico when the details come out. And probably about as sophisticated a move as one would find in a game of checkers. Between the need to distract from last week's Cohen and Manafort disaster and McCain glorification, today's press conference was all fluff and no meat.
20
This article tells us just about nothing about the agreement. It is all about what has been said about it. Why bother when we all know this man-who-would-be king is only about the big con?
From the little that is there, it appears that an increase in minimum salary (which I like) would only create a bigger problem unless profit margins/exec salaries are restricted. So, the cost of a car will rise, the price will rise, people who are making that 16/hour will (still) not be able to afford the car, so fewer will be sold, then layoffs will occur.
But, of course, the people who don't read and don't think will see the headlines and think something wonderful has been accomplished.
12
Pitting ally against ally. The art of the deal I guess...
7
In the new deal, Mexico has agreed to make hush payments to all of Trump's paramours.
11
Possibly the most embarrassingly inept and awkwardly staged event n the history of the Presidency: Trump, sitting at his desk lummox-like, trying to look engaged, while the voice of the Mexican president droned on over the phone for 15 minutes.
10
As far as dairy goes....supply management..
USA milk is contaminated with hormones...BGH...bovine growth hormone. I have always wondered if it could play a role in human breast cancer. One wonders if there could be a clinical study there. In the lower mainland of British Columbia so many residents cross border shop on a regular basis for cheap milk and cheese plus gasoline. BTW American farmers are subsidized with billions of dollars from your federal government. Canada does NOT SUBSIDIZE FARMERS.
41
President trump continues every day to get better deals for America. With an approval rating that has been hovering around 50% with 99% negative media coverage Trump keeps winning and foiling the leftist media.
4
I’m calling it the Trump NAFTA
2
Same old same old with a new name! And Trump tells his followers he saved the U S.
4
So next, is he going to announce a renegotiation of the NATO alliance? I assume we'd call it the United States Europe Mutual Defense Agreement.
4
It should be most reassuring to Americans that our go-to presidential aid, Kushner, the genius with 25 government portfolios, had a hand in this momentous breakthrough. Undoubtedly, some large Mexican banks will soon be announcing substantial investments in Kushner Properties Inc.
25
Please Please Please start calling this agreement,
NAFTA-light
Trump will hate it!
5
From the limited information on the "victory" that Trump wants to declare, they are all provisions that protect special interests not the America public interest.
He is damaging the American and global economy first to enrage people about the foreigners he claimed were "cheating us", and now wants to declare victory while leaving everyone but a few special interests worst off.
3
An American president hostile to Canada. Canada has a better argument for building a wall than Trump does. Americans will be flowing over the border if Trump has longevity in politics.
41
I think there is a good chance that the President's talk is little more than the bluster of the moment. Perhaps it will be effective, perhaps not. In any case I think he should turn his attention to North Korea where the solution he achieved so easily appears to be less than he claimed.
7
Trump photo op. Carbon copy of NAFTA.Trump threw a fit; now claims victory. Rinse and repeat. This is a carbon copy of N Korea . Trump throws a tantrum;photo op where Trump declares victory; then everything goes back to the way it was. N Korea still building nukes; but they got rid of the war games and got recognition. Vote out Republicans for health care; living wages and keeping Medicare/Social Security. Ray Sipe
12
I'm disappointed that the NYT made no effort to explain the differences between the old and new agreement, yet declare this as a victory for Trump. Without the analysis, this is simply a propaganda piece that supports Trump's assertions that he is a positive presence for our economy and the country overall.
23
He sees an opportunity to break America apart. Used to be a powerful trading block with Canada and Mexico. Now, no longer. Wonder which forces this helps?
2
I know how to deal with Trump going forward.
Change the name of every successful deal from all previous administrations and tell Trump he won. Have a photo op for him during the name changing ceremony. Maybe give him a pen and a hard hat. Tell him that no other president ever changed so many names.
Everyone else continue doing what we are doing until we can elect a new president
Simple.
14
trump is the first president competent and interested enough to take on trade regimes that disfavor Americans. As a successful mogul, he is comfortable working at the confluence of people and money, understands the psychology of negotiation, knows that deals happen in stages, and realizes it takes time to turn a ship. Future politicians: take note. If the GOP holds the House in Nov this will be passed. It is harmful that important policies like trade are handled by non-business technocrats who poorly represent their constituencies. Lastly, China is watching.
4
@tigershark
Can you explain to a simpleton how this trade favors American workers and consumers please?
And also explain how it significantly differs from our current agreement?
Thanks
14
I can see that as a tiger shark you're comfortable operating at the level of metaphor and bombast. You know that substance need not encumber your breathtaking predictions. Never mind that the US is retreating into yesterday and burning bridges it took decades to construct.
15
@Larry McCallum youre right - My comment is light on substance because the opening move by trump is, too. It signifies a directional and attitudinal change in trade relations with every country on the planet.
Replacing NAFTA with another name doesn’t change anything.
We need to be investing in systems that will allow Americans to earn good livings decades from now, not going back to a 1940s-1950s view of the economy.
Human labor driven manufacturing is a thing of the past, Robots replacing humans is becoming more efficient and cheaper every year that passes. Politicians and people in general who are concerned about the economic well being of current and future generations, must start working towards the goal of educating and helping people adapt to life in the 21th Century.
Forget about the so called NAFTA changes.
14
Will they PAY for the WALL as Trump promised they would?
10
These half baked political stunts by Trump are an embarrassment. It would be a great relief If we could go one day without him being the center of attention. This is a non deal deal, just like the nuclear disarmament of North Korea. If Trump says it, you can be pretty sure it's not true.
20
Trump is a genius. He picked something only 1-tenth of 1% of American voters understand -- trade policy -- declared that we were getting cheated, made a big show of trashing the agreements previous presidents and Congresses had made, publicly insulted and threatened the trading partners, and is now boasting of his new deal that only 1-tenth of 1 percent of voters can understand. Who are the winners and losers? Who knows. All we need to know is that Donald Trump kicked some Mexican behinds and got what he wanted. He's the winner!
6
Smoke and mirrors to appear like he's tough and actually accomplished something. Phony.
15
Trump, the racist destructor in-chief, will do anything to destroy what his predecessor(s) did, all to put his name on it. Why is it that all we have nowadays is Yes-people, unwilling to point the fairness of previous agreements? Why do we have to impose to others "our way", just for being different though of equal value? Is this neo-colonialism by another name? Why always demanding...instead of sitting at a table of 'equals'? And a proposal to benefit not only 'the big companies' but also small business?
12
Sorry NYT, you jumped the gun. This article should have been held until things are actually finalized. Knowing Trump's record, this thing is still so far from settled, it's laughable.
12
@Richard Mclaughlin You make exactly the right point. WHY is NYT, and WHY is the Washington Post, cooperating in this phony PR stunt--and going along with the "done-deal" claim on Trump's part, when there's almost nothing new here? I'm very frustrated with NYT for its gullibility and positive play of a non-event.
8
So instead of NAFTA how about the Mexico-USA-Canada-Kompact, or MUCK? MUCK sounds so much better, right!? Hmmmm.... maybe just keep the name "NAFTA"?
9
The first President in US history who keeps his promises and cares about the working person. Strong economic growth, trade deals being made that are fairer to the USA (after the Dems said this would lead to another Great Depression) and peace initiatives all over the world by President Trump.
4
@stephen. Stephen....Miller?
11
From bits and pieces discussed on Mexican government-run television networks it appears that the US has made significant concessions to Mexicans to reach a new agreement. What is clear is that there is not a single word about El muro de Trump, which Mexico was supposed to pay for.
While the economy of Mexico has seen better days and a deal with the US was promised by the newly elected president, still the Mexicans appear to have played their hands much better their US counterparts. They have been obviously aware of the fact that Mr. Trump badly needs to have a deal before the Nov. elections. So, they have managed to squeeze the US side as much as possible, while making very few compromises of their own.
Now the question is what will happen to the part of NAFTA involving Canada. Canada has already drawn up its "plan B", in case the US deal falls through. As part of that plan, Canada is actively seeking much closer economic relations with both EU and China. The calculations in this case are simple: Canada is in a position to supply much of the US-sourced agricultural imports to EU and China at potentially lower prices.
One thing is for sure. After insults and bad mouthing of Prime Minister Trudeau by Trump, Canadians are not in the mood of making any concession to US. The economy of Canada is relatively in a good shape and there will not be any elections in near future. And, most importantly, Canadians of all political persuasions support their current government.
118
@Eddie B.
Virtue signalling is costing your country plenty already better to just give in on supply management and cut your losses. Play hardball and you will regret it. If all trade stopped today between US and Canada it would depress our GDP by about 1-2%. It would depress yours by 10 x that amount. Can you afford a drop of 10% of your GDP. Then stop virtue signalling.
2
@Eddie B. Your posting is spot on, but do not forget the UK, Australia, New Zealand and other members of the Commonwealth. Here in British Columbia the food markets called Thrifty's are now selling meat from Australia. There is a strong 'Buy Canadian' sentiment here on Vancouver Island, as well as the mainland and the interior of BC.
9
@GregP
Regarding the Canadian supply management system, please see below my response to Barbara Greene.
1
With his usual bombast and distortion Trump is still going after our supply management system for dairy farmers. He should be aware that even the official opposition party in Canada supports it. In fact all parties in the federal legislature support it. It is an alternative to the subsidies the US gives its farmers. The NYT should do an in depth report on this issue and point out why our Milk Marketing Board and our dairy farmers enjoy popular support even though it means we do pay a little more for milk and milk products. You should also look at the subsidization and tariffs on the US industry where unfettered competition is causing American farmers to go bankrupt.
I support no agreement if the price is our dairy industry.
23
@Barbara Greene
There is a major difference between the Canadian supply management system for dairy farmers and the US farm subsidies. While the Canadian supply management system treats all farmers equally - irrespective of the province they are in - US farming subsidies can vary from state to state. Subsidy levels allotted to a state are typically a function of how "powerful" congressmen of that state are, which international agricultural conglomerates (Monsanto, DuPont, etc.) have set up shops in that state, or how the farmers in that state have been voting for the party in power.
6
@Barbara Greene
Maxime Bernier does not support it and he just left that opposition party. Scheer is fighting a losing battle to keep those Ottawa Farmers in his camp and it won't end well in 2019 for the Conservatives because of Bernier but do not take that to mean everyone in Canada is on board with supply management. If your news media is giving you that impression might want to tune into rebelmedia once in a while and get some facts. Find it so amusing that you Canadians view someone named Ezra Levant as a Right Winger to be afraid of. Its ok to watch him and his team they are not the radicals their name implies.
@GregP
Ezra Levant is our resident right-wing propagandist, conspiracy theorist and teller of many a falsehood. We KNOW exactly who and what Levant is. Offer him a job on the Fake Fox evening lineup or with Alex Jones: we'll gladly pack his bags and pay for his flight, one way.
1
It's very frustrating to read the fact-free, comparison-free reporting on this latest Trump bid for greatness. Both the Times and the Washington Post have lined up to give Trump big headlines and big play, when there's almost NOTHING of substance being reported. Do we get the kind of press reporting that we deserve? In this case, NO, we don't, and I really question the press cooperating with "the North Korean model" of this administration's approach to negotiations between countries. That model, in case you haven't noticed, is to announce success, crow about breakthroughs, and then let the matter drop as the actual failed, nothing-new details slowly emerge. Boo!
26
Excellent! Now President Trump wants the "deal" to be called something else other than NAFTA. Now the President is chipping away at the Clinton legacy! Before he's finished, Trump will rid the nation of all the relics of the liberal past. I support the President. I support Trump. Thank you.
1
@Southern Boy
Click the link below and you will find a very lovely photo of the NAFTA signing ceremony....and Bill Clinton is not in it but President GHW Bush is.
"Back row, left to right: Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, U.S. President George H. W. Bush, and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, at the initialing of the draft North American Free Trade Agreement in October 1992. In front are Mexican Secretary of Commerce and Industrial Development Jaime Serra Puche, United States Trade Representative Carla Hills, and Canadian Minister of International Trade Michael Wilson."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Free_Trade_Agreement
3
Just don't call it NAFTA? Don't worry, I'm not calling Trump "president" either.
21
If the US economy is so strong, why is it running trillion dollar deficits? I thought that sort of stimulus was the extreme treatment for a serious recession.
32
A slight correction to an earlier comment. Mexico says it won't sign without Canada being part of the deal. There shouldn't be opposition in Canada. I expect Mexico signed up because they realized the deal will never go through.
I don't see this deal going through outside off a revised NAFTA. Because it has to be approved by Congress.
Republicans will have a hard time supporting a treaty that requires foreign workers to make $16/hour while screaming about any change to the minimum wage in the US.
As for this deal putting pressure on Canada, I looked for the top story in the Toronto Star. The headline: "Canadian Auto Stocks [parts makers] rally on trade progress between US and Mexico."
Unifor, the Canadian auto union loves the deal. "It should stop the bleeding [of auto jobs] in Canada. Canada loves this deal.
This non-deal is also a gift for Justin Trudeau in the upcoming election.
Thanks Donald.
12
@Sheldon
Canada should have little difficulty signing on to the compromises (if the few details made public to date are as reported) achieved through recent US/Mexico bilateral discussions.
However, it remains to be seen what demands the Trump Administration continues to make of Canada. There is little patience here, as you undoubtedly well know, for further bullying by President Trump.
3
I assume somewhere in the details are terms for Mexico's payment of the wall.
3
Wow. Trump actually does things he said he’d do. Unlike a lot of other presidents.
4
@M Trump SAYS he does things he says he will do. And the press obediently SAYS that he has SAID that he has done the things he has SAID he will do. Move along; these aren't the droids we're looking for.
9
Well, I will believe it when I see it. Kind of like North Korean denuclearization. This could be more wishful thinking on Donald’s part.
7
"... ready to jettison Canada from the trilateral trade pact..."
The most friendly, accommodating and supportive sovereign power we have in our quiver just because the man-child some of us put in office in Washington doesn't like Prime Minister Trudeau's choice of socks. What other reason could could there be given the quality of the former.
19
Kudos to POTUS for yet another accomplishment in his long list. Mexico buckled. NAFTA dead. This was on the ballot. These Mexican profits funnelling to the USA will be used to finance the Wall. Neat idea. North Korea up next. Middle East on deck. All this winning is making me tired.
6
Does the treaty include Mexico paying for his wall?
This is the advantage of having a businessman for our President. He achieves great things because he establishes goals, and has a strategy. His predecessors hadn't the skill, the stamina--nor quite frankly--the desire, to negotiate competently.
3
Oh yeah, brilliant businessman if you consider multiple bankruptcies and burning vendors some form of brilliance. And now he’s brilliantly bankrupting the United States.
5
"The president bragged that 'many people' had thought that no one could make a deal with Mexico."
Other than the NAFTA agreement they've had for a quarter century. And other than the 10 other free trade agreements they have with 45 countries, the 32 reciprocal investment agreements they have with 33 countries, the 9 economic agreements within Latin American Integration Association, not to mention the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement. But other than that, yes, no one can make a deal with Mexico.
858
@Scott Yup, to Trump "no one" means "not me".
2
@Scott Well, you know we have the preeminent negotiator of all time. He did write a book, some would call fiction, called "The Art of the Steal". Oops, "Deal".
All of the braggadocio coming from the grifter from Queens is just that-fodder for his adoring fans.
Ignore the self aggrandizement. Many of us south of the border do.
1
@Scott 'Many people' seems to be what opinion Hannity whispers in his ear before bed.
1
I don't think Trump understands the position that Trudeau is in. Many Canadians - particularly those inclined to vote for Trudeau's Liberals - are more willing to take no deal than to bend the knee to Trump.
If Trudeau gives in more on supply management than what we already offered as part of the TPP then he's toast. Political suicide.
There are many in Canada willing to roll the dice that either Congress will rein the president in or that the president won't be in office that much longer. We also don't think that the Mexicans can abide by the 'deal' their striking without Canada in the mix.
516
@Craig
If you think Donald Trump has any concern for what the liberal voters want in Canada you should ask yourself why? If Trudeau doesn't want to deal on supply management he will be frozen out and it will go to our Congress. So either this deal or no deal is what will happen.
1
@Craig - you know better than this. You KNOW that it's "the 'deal' THEY'RE striking", not "their" striking. Argh-covfefe!
1
@Craig
Exactly! And further ore there are many Canadians whoon principle alone oppose negotiating anything with such a transparent, cheating, lying, excrable, unstable and untrustworthy person as Donald Trump. The problem dealing with bullies is they are never satisfied and never stop bullying. Canada can do just fine making its own way in the world, respected and an honest trader. Trump is destroying his own nation’s reputation and civil society. No reason exists why Canada should allow him to destroy ours too.
8
To be frank, it is quite difficult to asses the significance of those changes as only after 2-4 years (and probably much later) the impact may be seen, and it could be both positive or negative.
After NAFTA was enacted Clinton created 22 millions jobs in US, balanced the budget and things looked really good even 8 years later.
Were later negative economic parameters due to NAFTA, automation, great recession or complete lack of investments in in US infrastructure? Probably NAFTA was least responsible for the blame.
5
Canada, (and by default Canadians) just got screwed.
7
@Luc
Luc, since there is no agreement, Canada must be involved as the third party and that the trade agreement needs to be ratified by Congress and the Senate, this has been a nothing announcement.
9
There are comments that complain that this is a win for American workers but everyone here won't give Trump credit. Trump doesn't deserve credit. He's got nothing.
From the little that is known this is a US-Mexico deal that will put a 2.5% tariff (note how low it is) on auto/trucks assembled in Mexico which have less than 75% Canada-US- Mexico value and 40-45% of the value is created by workers who make at least $16/hour.
And the price is importing more ag products from the US.
Hey, that's a great deal for Canada. We should sign up. NAFTA plus this deal --loving it. A deal that increases NAFTA content and lessens Mexico's low wage advantage, what could be better. Justin Trudeau should have been part of this deal because most likely it never will come to pass or if it does, Mexico will have to make a deal with Canada and we have Mexico-US and Mexico-Canada and that is most problematic for Trump.
What's left out is everything else Trump promised.-- Anything outside of autos, no 5 year sunset clause for even the autos and nothing about private dispute.
And while Trump might theoretically be able to cancel NAFTA alone, without Congress, this new deal has to be approved by Congress. The problem is finding enough Republicans who are going to approve an auto sector only deal.
This is a mirage.
29
-- The new deal would require that 75% of the parts in any car sold in North America be produced in the United States or Mexico. Currently, about 62% of parts are required to be produced in the United States, Mexico or Canada. Not seeing how this will MAGA since it 75% of the parts can be produced in the US OR Mexico. No incentive to make parts in America if I can do it cheaper in Mexico and now I get to put 13% more of those cheaply produced parts on cars and sell them in America.
-- The new deal would require that 40% to 45% of auto parts in cars sold be made by workers earning at least $16 USD per hour. The flipside: 60% of those auto parts sold can be made by workers making much less than $16/hr, which will surely offset the $16/hr wage increase, and if a can pay a lower wage to workers in Mexico . . .
-- The new deal requires American companies that import cars and trucks produced in Mexican plants that do not comply with the new treaty’s content rules to pay a 2.5 percent tariff. American companies will pass this on to the consumer in the form of a price increase, without a doubt.
Much ado about nothing . . .
18
I was counting the hours for this. Trump needs constant attention. He refused to let Mc Cain have a news cycle on his reality t.v. Whitehouse show. Look at the bright side, a half baked trade agreement with few details other then “ it will be terrific “ is better than another poor soul losing his/her security clearance. Trump is becoming too predictable.
17
I vote absentee in the U.S. and live in Canada. I am truly torn by this latest news. To begin with, Canada needs the stability of a trade deal with the U.S. and Mexico, but I don't want to see one that doesn't work for us as well as for them. In addition, I worry that Trump will simply use this as a campaign ploy for the mid-terms. For the first time, I have registered to vote absentee in the mid-terms. It shouldn't be hard to guess which party I favor. I simply cannot trust this president to be fair about anything.
14
@Marilyn If this "deal" is like every other "deal" Trump has made, such as the deal with North Korea, the deal with the EU, his grand negotiations with China, it will be empty of anything of substance.
The design of this episode of the Trump show is to deflect attention to the sinking ship of state that he is captaining.
10
“To qualify for zero tariffs under Nafta, car companies would be required to manufacture at least 75 percent of an automobile’s value in North America under the new rules, up from 62.5 percent previously. They will also be required to use more local steel, aluminum and auto parts, and have a certain proportion of the car made by workers earning at least $16 an hour, a boon to both the United States and Canada.” Aside from the increase in automobile workers’ wages — a good deal for Mexican workers, who don’t receive this now, but not such a big deal for US workers — and the increase in local value to 75%, what’s Trump crowing about? Ford can still manufacture just as many cars in Mexico as they do today, using Mexican local steel and other materials and Mexican workers. After all, Mexico is part of North America, or has Trump overturned geography as well?
10
We need a bit more analysis than that... At first glance, it's either:
a) Mexico is going broke and needs the US as a trade partner fast, or
b) this isn't all that monumental since its not ruffling feathers anywhere really.
Given Mexico's exports to Europe, my bet is on the latter.
8
Trump will claim that he is making things better for US trade, but is chaos or tinkering for the sake of tinkering going to make things better or just gum up the works. In any case Trump will claim that it is better even as our economy is sent down the drain.
4
The only way Donald Trump would ever tell the truth, is by mistake. As far as accomplishments go, for Trump and his followers, just imagining the Olympics, means they've all won Gold Medals.
We've entered an age where just lying about something, means "it's solved".
12
A number of commenters think this will raise Mexican wages to $16, but it does not- ‘ 40 percent to 45 percent of the car made by workers earning at least $16 an hour’ will be U.S. and Canadian workers, not Mexican workers. With a 75% domestic content that is easily done without including them. If anything, it sets a lower wage floor for U.S. and Canadian workers.
2
@TheP
It's not a 75% domestic requirement, it's a 75% NA requirement, that includes 3 countries.
So I'm not sure that Trump has read what has been negotiated with Mexico, or maybe his acolytes don't want to upset him.
Any way you look at it, this agreement is a preliminary step, not a finalized agreement.
Until the negotiations with Canada restart it is going ot be impossible to tell whether this interim progress will have any legs.
It is a sure thing that the Canadaian government is not going to roll over and let Trump dictate the dispute resolution and lifetime parameters, and it is not clear even what Mexico is ultimately going to go for.
So, basically a tale told by a fool, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
We await substantive developments.
20
So what will this mean to the price of said cars we want to buy?
1
@Bogart That giant sucking sound you will hear is your wallet being emptied to pay for the increased cost of an automobile, either now with the Trump Hidden Tax, or otherwise known as a tariff, or, if this ghost of an agreement gains its content and is ratified by Congress.
6
Do not trust Trump. So you’ve gone from 62.5 % US content to 75% - wow! To listen to Trump it started at nothing - oh yes and the US has tariffs on Canadian dairy - but no one wants to hear the truth. How do these people sleep at night with all the lies they dish up every day!
11
@Barbarra
No Barbarra, if the deal is agreed to by Canada, Mexico and the USA, it means 75% North American content.
That could mean 60% Mexican, 10% American and 5% Canadian, or 75% Mexican, no American, no Canadian or any other combination that adds up to 75% North American.
5
This is a great win for Trump and for his supporters. Whether it makes any material difference is yet to be seen, and it probably doesn’t actually matter whether it does, the mere appearance of a win on their behalf means Trumps base will stay as strong as always.
I hate to say it, but this is a huge win for the midterms for the GOP. Trump has delivered again, or least appeared to do so. The dems can’t compete on the propaganda battles
6
@Peter H
Trump keeps delivering, which is, I suspect, what drives his critics' ever increasing animus. They desperately want to see him fail. They always describe his actions as failures.
And, yet, they haven't been able to convince Americans that the economy is less important their views of Trump. It remains "economy, stupid" with emphasis on the second word.
4
@AACNY
Nuke deal delivered? Not!
NATO deal delivered? Not!
EU trade delivered? Not!
Best, cheapest health care? Not!
Rich are going to pay more in taxes? Not!
Border wall built? Not!
Have some sense of reality, man......
1
@AACNY Please, give us a running tally of all of his campaign promises that have been filled, an explanation of the effects of the Trump Hidden Tax on consumers (it's the tariff), the effect on personal income tax with the elimination of many deductions by the bait and switch tax "reform" act, and insure your analysis discusses the effect of the sunset provision in 2025.
Trump's economy? Please explain your analysis that the economic growth is a result of Trump's economy. While true the the stock market is bullish, that bullish rise has been happening for, what was it, over 3000 days. Hmm. How did Trump make that happen?
His actions, such as they are, are more figments of his imagination, thus, they cannot be considered as successes.
Did anyone see the phone call live? It was so awkward. Trump started out by fumbling to try to conference in the Mexican President on live tv and then he said the deal would no longer be called NAFTA. President Pena Nieto made a point of calling the deal NAFTA straight away and also mentioned it was not finalized yet bc Canada wasn’t included.
13
@Laura Gardner I might add that Mr. Trump sat at his desk with his hands in a steepling position trying to project power and confidence. (He regularly uses the hand steeple gesture at press events, with his steepled hands positioned between his legs or with his arms on a desk or table.) This gesture did not, however, mask his inability to operate the speakerphone.
4
Clearly, to me anyway, this deal means that the cost of buying a car will have to increase unless Trump decides to lower the tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. Consumers may be the loosers once more. I do NOT trust Trump as far as I can throw him.
6
So Trump's big announcement is nothing more than we are in discussions for a new deal. Sad attempt to continue to make himself look valuable during his legal nightmares. Very similar to the "we no longer have to worry about North Korea being a nuclear threat" we heard not to long ago. This guy is such a transparent con man. If you want an eye opener watch John Oliver discuss Trump's trade guy...funny and depressing at the same time.
5
Trump needed some important announcement to make Monday about him instead of the late Senator McCain so the Mexicans, fed up with his browbeating no doubt and knowing it would cost them nothing in the end let him have his empty victory. If Trump really expects Canadians to cave over fear of being left out in the cold, he doesn't know much about Canadians at all, beginning with how really well we take to the cold.
39
Meanwhile in Canada there is a growing urge to have the Liberal government do nothing as NAFTA is still in place. We Canadians know Trump's time is almost up and with Trump as detested as he is here, the Trudeau government risks very little in just waiting him out and then deal with an adult.
48
What a great win for the President. Who knew a simple name change from NAFTA to the US Mexico trade agreement would correct the worst trade deal in the history of the world.
29
Doing business with the US while it's clear that contracts are meaningless to its leader is pure folly. If I were the leader of other countries I'd refuse to even enter talks with the US until a rational leader who understands what a signed legally binding contract means, is put into power.
5
The devil is ALWAYS in the details. How is that "North Korea has given up their nukes" agreement doing? Trump can claim all the "deals" he wants. Let us wait and see what this is really going to accomplish.
7
Your story made it appear to be a one-sided win for the United States. I seriously doubt this is the case and, by addressing it as such, you are contributing to Trump's propaganda machine. Where are the critical questions and critiques?!
4
I have to laugh at all the anti Trump commenters who cannot accept the fact that he has done something positive. The hatred runs so deep that they hope the US economy fails. Look at the stock market today! The ones that invest for a living certainly see benefits in the new agreement.
7
@prettysure
You clearly don't understand the markets, you might get one to two day upswing, but the fact is, most of these stock valuations care coming from the fact that they are buying back their own shares, which means it's artificially raising their value.
By the way, but for Obama saving the economy in the first place which no republican can bring themselves to admit, Trump wouldn't have the economic numbers he has, by the way, you'll pay for this corporate tax break. This market will come to an end, the longer tariffs are being leveled at China, those will soon hit the consumer, so much for your poultry $20.00 a week tax break.
6
How high is the wall going to be now? And, how is Mexico going to pay for it - Pesos or Dollars - Cash or Credit Card?
4
Great! Trump updated a 24 year old agreement and changed its name. Very helpful indeed.
4
Does it include Mexico paying for a wall?
3
The devil is in the yet to be seen details, but I'm sure this deal is at least as good as the one with North Korea.
3
So, Trump is just giggling with joy that this grand negotiating will reap the Mexican autoworker a minimum wage, provided this trade agreement is not just more of the Trump Dog and Pony Show, of $16.00 per hour. Yet, his workers in Las Vegas had to unionize to gain a fair wage. What are his serfs paid at his other enterprises?
Anyone else see the disparity, and hypocrisy here?
5
Not NAFTA. It is Half-ta.
6
To tennvol30736 who wrote in response to my posting of the joint letter 2017 of Mario Cuomo and Scott Walker on NYS farm jobs:
@Woof Have they been as upset with the millions of factory jobs been lost over the last century? Where was the Republican Party then and is it being selective who they defend?
When it comes to jobs in THEIR states, partisanship disappears
"Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on Harley-Davidson: 'I don't want a boycott'"
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/wisconsin-gov-scott-walker-on-harle...
All politics is local
@Woof
And Fox Business is reliable.....I have a nice orange bridge in San Francisco to sell you.
2
The entire act is long on promises and hoped for benefits without any explanation of what the changes are going to be. I find only two details: 1) that Mexican workers should get paid more so that the cars imported from Mexico would cost more. (I am happy for the Mexicans); 2) that certain trucks will pay a 2.5% tariff. Once more, to make those products more expensive. (I am not happy for the American consumer).
As expected (unless there is more to come), a face-saving device for Trump, with no appreciable change in the status quo.
It's not a game changer, it's a name changer. Trump is not interested in substance, only the appearance of it.
11
No details but then again, Trump had no role in actually writing the document, and he probably doesn't have a clue as to what is really inside it. Then again neither does Mr. Peña Nieto. Executives like to make everyone think they know the details - they don't.
I'm waiting for the experts to parse this document word-for-word and tell everyone what is really different.
The sad part is that both political sides are already aligning themselves without a clue as to what the actual document says.
As far as Trump's "political will" that changes by the minute and what today is the greatest, best, most outstanding,... will probably be seen quite differently when Mr. Peña Nieto runs afoul of Trump - and he will.
6
This is just so much b.s. Supposedly they've agreed on broad outlines with the details to be worked out; and apparently there's already a disagreement. Mexico says that Canada needs to be a part of the agreement if there's to be any deal at all and Trump, true to form, is saying that Canada better get on board right away or they'll be left out. North Korea is a deal with broad outlines with the details to be worked out. Evidently, the old saying is true: the devil is indeed in the details and Trump, again true to form, is not a detail kind of guy. So let's just calm down -- including the overly reactive and always jittering markets -- and see this for what it is. John McCain just died and no one is paying attention to Trump, so Trump--again true to form and his name -- "trumps up" something to change the conversation. Congratulations on falling for it once again.
15
How about if we just drop the name TRUMP, keep NAFTA, and make America great again?
14
We don't even know what the details of this trade deal are and the stock has ticked up. It is anyone's guess as to what causes the DJ to rise or fall and yet there are some singing praises for the POTUS. Wait till all the details are out. BTW industry drives the DJIA not the POTUS.
1
What is Mexico thinking? I thought they hated Trump too? Midterms isn’t far away and this isn’t going to help the cause. Even the Mexicans are going to like Trump now!! He is fighting for them to get wage hikes! We spent all this time demonizing Trump in the eyes of Mexico and now he is going to look like some kind of saint! I am guessing Trumpsd approval ratings are going to skyrocket after this. And if he gets Canada to back down and join in he will be so popular.
5
This not quite done deal that is "a big day for trade" and "a big day for our country", most certainly will be a boon for us all.
I am sure that the savings will cover the cost of the wall, the tax cuts for "all" Americans and the $12 billion in aid we paid to farmers to help in these and other trade negotiations.
REALLY...
3
Or is this like the North Korea denuclearizing deal? Or the great deals our farmers are getting from all of those tariffs? Oh the winning...I can't take it.
Knew Trump would try to do something to upstage McCain! Oh, well, what do you expect from such a small minded narcissist.
12
Unanswered Questions:
1. Who pays for the Wall?
2. NAFTA was "menage a trois" with Canada, Mexico and US
There is no deal until Canada agrees
3. It ain't a deal until Senate votes on it. There are still Republican free traders in the Senate.
12
Odds please:
How long until the fool blows it up?
See his “ success “ with North Korea
13
Meanwhile the rest of the world wants more well-built, reliable fuel efficent vehicles while Detroit churns out more of the same - expensive, poorly-made, fuel-hogging SUVs and trucks that no one really wants.
Yep, this trade “deal” is a definite win for anyone else other than our country.
Good job Trump, for keeping our nation on track for transforming into a third world economy within our children’s lifetime.
8
@Mike M. With the Electoral College we have already become a Third World Country. Your vote does not count anymore. Trump should not even be there. He is a fluke. Hillary won by 3 MILLION VOTES! And now 30% of the US is running the country into the ground! I will take any third world country where 1 person equals 1 vote! We don't have that here!
1
Master negotiator. Not a doubt.
1
Trump needs to rush this deal through congress, before the next Mexican president takes over and rejects this deal. Peña Nieto is still doing his best to live up to his critics lowest expectations, trying to saddle Mexico with this pig of a treaty, right before leaving office.
3
@NoTeaPlease
Without Canada, there cannot be a deal.
4
I hope it's better than the one with North Korea.
6
NYTimes, it would be helpful to move substantive information about the content of the agreement further up in these articles. It's nearly at the bottom!
"Many of the most significant changes agreed to by Mexico and the United States simply update the pact to take into account the rise of the internet and the digital economy since the agreement was negotiated. But Mr. Trump’s advisers have also pressed for big alterations to the rules governing automobile manufacturing, in an effort to bring more car production back to the United States from Mexico.
To qualify for zero tariffs under Nafta, car companies would be required to manufacture at least 75 percent of an automobile’s value in North America under the new rules, up from 62.5 percent previously. They will also be required to use more local steel, aluminum and auto parts, and have a certain proportion of the car made by workers earning at least $16 an hour, a boon to both the United States and Canada."
13
@cup-o-joe... So how much more will the American consumer be asked to pay for this car? It'll either be in cold cash or -- given the gutting of fuel standards -- poorer health and a lesser life span. Likely both.
3
@cup-o-joe It matters not where the terms are placed in the piece. Those pesky details will be relegated to the trash heap where the "agreements" with North Korea and the European Union reside.
This is just more of the Trump sideshow.
@cup-o-joe
A boon for both?
Assumning Mexican workers ever manage to get to the $16 dollar an hour mark that wages pales in comparison to the overly paid U.S. worker, of which a good deal of that compensation comes from health care costs, which you do not have in Mexico.
And don’t think for a minute auto manufactures in Mexico won’t emulate their other counterparts by automating jobs out of existence.
So, you tell me, what “boon” are you referring to?
"The president, basking in the agreement, bragged that 'many people' had thought that no one could make a deal with Mexico." Are those the same people who doubted that Mexico will pay for Mr. Trump's wall, as he promised repeatedly? But surely this new agreement has the wall payments from Mexico included. Surely.
5
Remember when every Republican strategist insisted that the worst problem for the economy was uncertainty ?
You don't hear from those people anymore for some reason.
1
Sounds like Mexican auto workers are about to get a big raise, thanks to Donald Trump. Now might be a good time for lots of low-wage American workers to cross the border and get those good paying jobs where their dollars would go a lot farther in the local economy. I hear they also have universal healthcare now too.
12
@abigail49
Would the families of those American workers be willing to relocate to Mexico? We all know the answer to that question.
@Juan J Carrillo Maybe if they knew they could get a good-paying job they would. Millions have uprooted or separated from families to come here, after all.
@abigail49
I've been going to Mexico for over 20 years, I own a condo in Vallarta since before it is what it is now. They do not have universal healthcare.
I’m obviously aware that the U.S. is no present leader in the fight against climate change for many reasons, especially considering Trump’s consistent denial that it’s even happening.
NYT journalists: Would more domestic manufacturing decrease emissions in that area? I imagine if we’re not shipping products back and forth across the ocean during the production cycle, we would be utilizing less industrial fossil fuel for the transportation of products. Can you get some clarification from the experts on this?
Thanks!
5
As I recall, Trump took great offense to Justin Trudeau saying Canadians were not going to be pushed around (trade tariffs).
And then Trump said Trudeau and the Canadian people would pay big time for that (what a small person Trump is!). Hence, Canada frozen out of the talks with the U.S. and Mexico
Wanna bet that that there's no three way deal?
32
It will fall apart .. 2 maybe 3wks at most
3
Trump is someone who epitomizes naff. Perhaps that's why he doesn't like the name, the poor dear; it resonates too closely with his perception of himself.
3
Get used to it. You are looking at 4 more years of a Trump presidency. Even radical liberal democrats like economic prosperity.
11
@Don Hey, does that prosperity include the current minimum wage, include the ability to purchase a home at its inflated price by the middle class, the ability to purchase low-cost better than Obamacare medical insurance, extend the fake tax cuts on personal income beyond 2025-to name a few of those grand promises made and never kept.
Yup, those grand promises and the winning.
6
@Don your comment is not addressing the article. It seems you are talking about the economy in general and the small % of Democrats who are "radical liberal". Sure, everybody likes a good economy, so we'll assume you were happy during all the Obama years when the economy kept growing at a fast clip. Regarding the agreement, it looks like they just changed the name and removed Canada from it - not clear how it is better than what we had before. And it still has to be approved by Congress and the Senate.
1
@Don so you predict the inevitable impeachment at year 6 of his presidency?
1
I recently returned from a motor vacation to Canada. I encountered no hostility from any Canadian while there. While at the US border crossing, the border agent asked me the usual questions, i.e, bringing in any flower seeds, plants, etc.? After answering no to all, I volunteered "I am not bringing in any aluminum or steel either". He wasn't amused. Probably heard that one before.
I have no idea of the impacts of what the new agreements provide for, except that the Mexican auto plant workers will now get a substantially better minimum wage. This will reduce the labor savings advantage of locating production in Mexico instead of the USA. And even if it has no impact on such decisions, the Mexican workers will get a nice raise in pay.
11
You don't even know if the minimum wage is for line workers or management in this story or if they are allowed to average the pay of multiple positions. Line workers are unionized in Mexico for many plants and have a labor contract setting minimum and maximum wage. There are not enough facts in this article to even say that Mexican workers will be paid more than they currently earn.
2
So he's going to claim he got rid of NAFTA by having the name changed ?
What a joke.
25
@Marion Grace Merriweather Read the entire article. Yes, it has changed.
@Marion Grace Merriweather It will be bound with a gold leaf Trump on the cover and called "How I Hoodwinked A Bunch of People Into Believing This Is A Trade Deal", and between the bindings will be blank pages.
3
@Concerned When, and if, the trade agreement is released in its full text, and this is predicated on an agreement written and in place, and is approved by Congress, then I will concede it has changed.
As of right now, it is just another news story that Trump is using to shine a bright light on him.
A very bad deal for Mexico. Shame on both our outgoing and incoming governments. Pair of stooges; no wonder Trump always praised them.
3
@Paco Calderon
How is it bad......explain....
Good thinking in providing a Spanish English translator. Next time, it might be a good idea to provide an English English translator for Trump's remarks. What on earth was he talking about?
37
Another huge win for Trump. NAFTA dead. Free and fair trade with Mexico is here. NASDAQ exploding. Capitalism is booming. Economy exploding. All on Trump's watch with zero thanks to the community organizer, "You didn't build that " Obama. All this winning is tiring me out.
9
@Steve
most of the turnaround from the recession of 2008 happened during Obama's presidency.
@Steve you are celebrating a name change, and it has not been approved or implemented yet. NAFTA is still in place as we speak. The economy did great all through Obama's presidency. Unfortunately the majority of the US population does not invest in the stock market and missed out on a lot of gains.
1
@jeffk
Neither does he, he's a Trumper so anything that makes trump look good. He's not interested in whether his standard of living is better, just that he's winning, even when he's not.
A good example why Trump like uneducated people.
Good for Trump for trying to repair the damage Bill and Hillary did. (Remember Hillary campaigned for Bill promoting 2 for 1. She is a s responsible for Nafta as is Bill.)
Trump should be on Mount Rushmore just for preventing Hillary from being president.
11
@Reader In Wash, DC
A lot of us supported Obama in the 2008 primaries, for the reason that he was not Hillary, and did not have Bill telling us what Barack was thinking.
Bill and Hillary were also responsible for the repeal of Glass Steagall.
2
@Reader In Wash, DC
The Constitution of the United States prevented Hillary Clinton from becoming president.
2
@Reader In Wash, DC --- wow, you don't seem to recall that the R controlled Congress are the ones that actually approved of this? - and btw Nafta really started under dear leader Reagan.
2
Canadian and Mexican officials would be foolish not to slow walk these 'negotiations.' Trump, an un-indicted co-conspirator in a fraudulent federal election, will soon face impeachment or resignation, and propping him up politically only prolongs his staying power.
Of course, Trump would like to claim credit for a rising sun, so a tentative partial agreement with Mexico is the greatest thing ever. 'No one thought this could be done.' No. Actually, no one thought Trump had a clue about international trade, nor would he negotiate anything of net value to our economy. That's still true today. $16 an hour auto jobs? Really? Even that will only hold off the robots for a few production cycles.
It's not clear if there will be agreement for a new NAFTA that includes Canada. Or that trilateral talks will succeed before Pena Nieto leaves office. Or that Congress will approve a trade deal in this or especially the next session.
Today's announcement by a besieged White House is essentially a nothing-burger.
17
@Michael Tyndall — hopefully you followed Krugman’s investment advice. You’d be a winner all the way.
5
I'm so glad this makes our Great Leader happy. Of course nothing else is as important.
5
I am ready for no deal and to suffer the economic pain the US can inflict upon Canada rather than bow down before Donald Trump. Canada and the US are neither allies nor friends any longer.
112
It would be something if Canada did stand up to the US for once and stopped being it's doormat and favourite whipping boy...But the realities of geopolitics and economics say otherwise.
For now the only thing Canada can really do is try to forge a more independent foreign policy meant to plant the seeds and create the future conditions when Canada won't have to rely on the US any longer.
Easier said than done...but we will see, there is a limit to how long you can insult and push people around. Even Canadians have limits...
2
@Innocent Bystander I disagree. The US and Canada will always be allies, bound by language, culture, basic philosophy, and a liking for one another. It is comments such as yours that plant slow doubts in people's minds, that turn into hesitations and then start blossoming into guilt on one side and victimization on the other, culminating in hatred. I've spent quite a bit of time in Canada and I love it and it's people. I sensed more hostility from them in the 50s than I do now.
@Innocent Bystander
I don't blame you.
This doesn't just effect Mexico-USA trade for the better; China is watching.
9
To predict what Trump will do in any situation, Just think of the weakest thing a president could do. In this case: literally change the name of NAFTA (and make a few minor tweaks).
Trump = weakness
19
@Baldwin - I don't find the tweaks minor at all. Please don't confuse your hatred if the man with the reality of what has been done. There's enough that he does that deserves criticism. Don't begrudge people credit because of orientation. Doing otherwise lessens your sanity to make solid judgments.
1
@Concerned
Why does a Trumpian, always use the word hate, when anyone disagrees with their assessment of Trump. When you can feel the hate of Clinton, you can hear it in their chants from the right. So keep your hate line directed at the right.
If Trump and other leaders in the country wanted to change NAFTA, it could have been done through negotiation NOT preceded by threats. Why does this president think that everything needs to be preceded by threats and childish name-calling?! He starts every conversation with a figurative punch in the face. He must think it makes him look strong and decisive. It actually makes him look weak, brutish, and incapable of reasoned thought and speech.
16
@E It's obnoxious, but it's his way. I try to concentrate on what he does and ignore the bravado and what you see as threats. It's his way of pre-negotiating.
@E Most of us Canadians are NOT impressed with 45
2
@Concerned
Key word is "preliminary". Just like nuke deal.
Part of me wishes that Canada would just withdraw from NAFTA leaving just this pathetic USMTA agreement and Trump groveling to Trudeau to make a deal to save face.
21
The pettiness of some of the comments is astounding: Griping because of the potential benefit to auto workers; increased wages and benefits.
There was a time in America when workers had decent wages and company-paid pensions and health insurance. The worker didn't create the change; greedy corporations did.
Take a walk through the website of the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (www.pbgc.com) where there are thousands of companies who have walked away from their pension obligations, leaving hundreds of thousands of workers with nothing.
I just do not understand my 'fellow Americans' who have such malice toward others who may benefit.
10
@Candlewick I'm all for improved benefits to workers and I hope everybody else is. It is very hard to tell what the net benefits will be from this agreement because of offsetting tariffs and all the remaining hurdles to go through for approval. I believe a lot of what we are seeing in the comments is cynicism based on previous declared victories by Trump that have not amounted to anything, not malice against workers.
@Candlewick
You do realize that the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corp is funded by your tax dollar. That's why corporations were able just walk away and leave us holding the proverbial tax bag.
Is it like the deal with North Korea? In other words a vaguely worded "deal" that means nothing but that Trump can brag about?
9
@Paul Ruszczyk
Yes, it's exactly like that. No approvals, nothing signed, minimal specifics, and the only concrete steps are still vague unenforcable nonsense. For example, "...manufacture at least 75 percent of an automobile’s value in North America under the new rules, up from 62.5 percent previously."
And who will assess what portion of the car's "value" was "manufactured" in the US? "Value" to who? The consumer? To the list price? Will it be assessed based on the raw cost of labor and materials or will the car maker be able to say, "Well, we only actually made 1/3 of the car in the United States, but it's the most IMPORTANT 1/3 to our customers, so it's really worth 75% of the car", and other such nonsense.
6
@RedorBlueGuy
75% North American content, that could mean 75% Mexican, no American content and 25% non NA content.
Your headline states that this is a revision of NAFTA, as does your first paragraph. As the rest of the article states, NAFTA is being canceled and this is a new agreement. Did you miss that or is it too painful to admit that he is keeping another campaign promise.
8
@Ken - I vote for too painful.
2
@Ken
I agree. The big story from Trump is that he announced that he is cancelling Nafta. The reporters totally overlooked this in order to focus on some small details.
I suspect the reason they overlooked the cancellation of Nafta is that they assumed this statement was untrue. It escapes me as to why they thought that anything else in the statement was true.
@Ken Trump proposes that NAFTA will be renamed and small parts of it will be modified (like raising % of car built in US from 62.5% to 75%). And it is far from approved yet. You are interpreting the article to suit your worldview.
1
I'm surprised he's not calling it the "Trump-Mexico Trade Agreement". Or just the "Trump Trade Agreement".
8
Well, maybe this'll all go great. But far as I can tell, setting your allies and trade partners against one another and greenlighting guys like Putin and Xi is a really, really good way to end up with lots of shiny wars.
Later, of course...you know, ten or twenty years on, when you're safely down the road and your heirs and assigns have figured out how to blame Obama and Hillary and Pelosi for what you did.
3
So, in paragraph 24 this article actually gets to the point. And it turns out that after calling it "a significant win" it really doesn't amount to much. Sad turn of events and sad editing.
6
Take a close look at this very sketchy deal. (You'll need a telescope). What you will find are 3 Happy Amigos on horses singing and drinking tequila. . Who are the amigos? 1. The Auto Labor Union in Mexico; 2. The Leftists in the Mexican Government; and 3. A very confused DJT wearing his MAGA hat thinking this is a great deal for the American consumer--when it actually hurts the american consumer of automobiles.
9
Has Mexico agreed to pay for the wall?
6
This comment made in tribute to Senator John McCain.
7
Trump out there trying his old re-branding M.O.
All that glitters is not gold.....
10
Why would Mexico negotiate with Trump?
4
The Art of the Deal:
1) Propose something monumentally stupid.
2) Publicize it like crazy.
3) Decide not to go through with it.
4) Take credit for it not happening.
35
I'm happy to be proven wrong, but I'd kind of like to see the fine print first. I also have some real misgivings about the whole, "Hey, let's attack our allies and trading partners, split up alliances, scream and yell and jockey for power, then expect everybody to leap right up and volunteer when things go bad and we need help," approach.
Oh, well. i shouldn't be so cynical and unfair and just downright leftist and all. I mean heck, things have been going swimmingly with the DPRK, and it's not like Russia and China are expanding quickly into markets and countries we've been shrieking at.
13
Poor Mexico. They are usually only considered part of 'North America' when they have something that we Canadians and the Americans need to exploit like cheap labour.
Other than that, sadly, most media and businesses only mean Canada and the United States when they use the term North America. Except during NAFTA negotiations.
Perhaps the American Ross Perot was correct decades ago when he spoke of a 'giant sucking sound' of middle income jobs going to Mexico to become lower-middle income jobs if NAFTA went into effect. Again, poor Mexico and poor us.
4
If the current deal survives (doubtful) and is approved by Congress (doubtful), perhaps these minor tweaks will result in the trade agreement being rebranded - from what Trump called "the worst trade deal ever made" to the "best trade deal ever." In Trump world it is only appearances that matter, not substance. It's all about what his base of support can be guided to believe.
It's all about that base.
42
I think both Canada and Mexico are well aware of Trump's "I win you lose" strategy. Canada will buy in only when (as Trump says) it's a fair deal. Bilateral trade will only bring us back a few decades and I don't think business will be happy with that prospect.
16
@DSS
Indeed, Trump's mentality is always "As long as you lose, I win. It doesn't even matter what I get, as long as you lose something and I can brag about it."
You can't negotiate with a bully. Mexico and Canada both know this. Here's to hoping that when they really try to sign up to specifics, both countries tell the USA to shove it. I'm an American, and I don't want the whole world thinking we are a nation of Donald Trumps. We will get rid of him, and hopefully, you will all try to talk to us in friendship again.
4
Trump seems to have spent most of the Oval Office ceremony touting his "new name" for NAFTA. After all his campaign hyperbole about NAFTA being "the worst trade agreement in history," one would have expected a few words about the substance of the proposed changes and the preliminary status of the negotiations. As in Singapore and Helsinki, the Tweeter-in-Chief seems to be more interested in re-branding and self aggrandizement, than he does in building upon the achievements of his predecessors.
16
@Marc McGuire I wonder if his wall fixation was based on having Trump's Wall as a legacy, much like Hadrian's Wall.
@Marc McGuire - All he could remember was the name.
1
kudos to Trump for finally getting us a fair deal. It's difficult to admit but he deserves some credit here.
6
@Joe yohka Why don't you tell us what's in the deal since he doesn't appear to know?
6
Please explain EXACTLY how you know this, and what it was EXACTLY that Trump did to make these particular good times roll.
5
I would like to know more specific before I give Kudos. Trump easily declares victory for not much. He will declare victory even for nothing. See negotiation with North Korea. It was a great historic success until it was not.
1
I wonder if the whole thing couldn't have been better dealt with within the framework of an existing trade deal ... something like a NAFTA, for instance. Than all of the political and economic damage could have been avoided and real progress could have been accomplished without the long term resentment.
1
So far I see a lot of atmospherics but v little in specifics. My guess is the net effect will be barely palpable- but I’ll wait for more info and the evaluation of real economists not party to the deal.
4
What about paying for the wall? Didn't see any mention of that.
5
How are we going to get the goods over the wall though? I didn't read anything in this deal about big ramps or ladders. Does Canada supply the ladders?
12
Yeah, but first they have to be imported from China.
1
@Scott S. Not wood ladders, really high tariffs on wood. And certainly not aluminum ladders.
Of interest are the pictures accompanying the article: Volkswagen and Toyota assembly plants in Mexico-
in-other-words; German and Japanese auto makers using American subsidiaries to produce their vehicles in another foreign country- not named America?
Is this really the President Winning?
10
So, customers who are scraping by, working several “gigs” now have to pony up to carry Ford workers near Detroit for instance, who are paid $26/hr with schedules raises over the next three years plus great benefits plus a pension to do the same job as workers in Fords Mexican factories who receive $6/hr with few bennies and no pension? Got it.
4
Your concern for your fellow Americans touches my heart.
3
@From Where I Sit
So you would rather American workers in some sectors become impoverished just so you and I can purchase cheaper vehicles?
What about other industries and products?
You do realize that consumers are also workers and vise versa. Don't hate on others who happen to have good benefits and decent wages. Lifting all boats is the answer.
8
@From Where I Sit I was planning to buy a new car with my $1000 tax break.