[CTC] Mexico will work to address Democratic NAFTA concerns

[Arthur Stamoulis]

POLITICO
Mexico will work to address Democratic USMCA concerns
 
By Sabrina Rodriguez 
12/17/2018 01:50 PM EDT

Mexico is willing to work with the United States to address Democratic lawmakers' concerns about how to enforce labor provisions in the new North American trade pact, a top Mexican official said.

"The labor provisions are good. The issue is will Mexico enforce them," Jesús Seade, Mexico's undersecretary-designate for North America, said Friday at the Atlantic Council's annual forum.

Seade explained that resistance largely stems from worries that the deal does not include strong enough mechanisms to ensure that Mexico will comply in upholding the labor protections. Labor obligations in the new agreement are subject to dispute settlement and enforcement provisions, but labor groups have questioned if those provisions are effective.

"We can cooperate in strengthening the dispute-settlement system," he added.

The new deal, called the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, is already facing opposition <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d0067ce7e12ebf02ae1d6e032caf2310c68bfa0371002a6c883e298a9fe20cca03ad366a382d71e07ff46e957589f301> in Congress. Democratic lawmakers are expected to push for language that will strengthen enforcement of the deal's labor and environment provisions, although it remains unclear if the Trump administration will try to make certain changes through implementing legislation. 

Asked whether Mexico would be willing to negotiate side letters on the matter, Seade said, "Yes, side letters or just action."

"Of course, we are open to talk. We respect the concerns being raised," said Seade, who served as then-President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador's chief NAFTA negotiator. "It's just that the way to address them is not necessarily by opening an agreement that's been closed."

Rep. Nancy Pelosi <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d0067ce7e12ebf02e695ada90e8b289e8e5364a98fd730575641787fa5cd5e24f556908e4f3758002af172ced8a5427e> (D-Calif.), who is widely expected to be the next speaker of the House, has already called <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d0067ce7e12ebf024b8dc9fa7e76bd725c12ffa7b0687d0e5c4c2e07ccbc2bc334822d8d7dc7e9af3b04c9215e6c6807> the deal "just a list without real enforcement of the labor and environmental protections."

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has also indicated that Democratic lawmakers will be "very much involved in the process moving forward" and wants them "to be happy with the agreement."

Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826




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