[CTC] Spicer: U.S. might be able to renegotiate NAFTA within current parameters

[Arthur Stamoulis]

POLITICO
 
Spicer: U.S. might be able to renegotiate NAFTA within current parameters
 
By Doug Palmer
01/23/2017 03:27 PM EDT

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said today the Trump administration might be able to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement without formally issuing an executive order to notify Canada and Mexico of the United States' intention to withdraw from the pact.

"We'll have further updates on trade issues later this week," Spicer said at a White House press briefing. "I think we're done with executive orders for the day."

Spicer said he wasn't sure whether Trump needed to issue an executive order to put Canada and Mexico on notice that Washington could withdraw from the agreement if they don't agree to renegotiate it on more favorable terms for the United States or whether he could simply rely on a provision within NAFTA to accomplish that. 

"That's a great question," he said. "I believe there's an action that has to be taken under the provision of NAFTA where you send notice to the other two countries" of plans to withdraw. However, as of today, that trigger has not been invoked, he said

"He's already spoken to the president of Mexico and the prime minister of Canada about his desire to renegotiate ... ," Spicer said. "If they come in and express a willingness to do that, you could negotiate within the current parameters and update through the existing structures." 

"If they don't and he decides to pull out, then we would have to go back to the drawing table in the future," Spicer said.


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