[CTC] NAFTA Signing Ceremony on Friday

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Clip from Politco’s Morning Trade...

USMCA SIGNING CEREMONY WATCH: Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed that the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement will in fact be signed on Friday — EPN's final day in office — in Buenos Aires on the sidelines of the G-20. 

A readout <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8c6e2d3b96e2d30cc18ecf1c950170d0dcdc944066fc69d787f073baf1ab4b4690cc6552c1ef69996b0bc4b8a34754b4> of the phone call from the Mexican government shows the two discussed the benefits that the updated agreement will bring to all three countries but makes no mention of who from each nation will be signing the deal.

Even with steel tariffs, Canada's all in: Despite threats this year that one or both NAFTA partners might hold off on signing the new agreement until the steel and aluminum tariffs are addressed, Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau made clear that Ottawa will move forward with the signing.

"We are not going to make one set of negotiations contingent on the other," he said  <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8c6e2d3b96e2d30cd1973bb5016c5d2acb6f71bd1350d2d007ec3270a14116fd5ff66c9f3456bc2afa270fc41f8d31e1>on Thursday. "And most importantly, we want the stability of a new NAFTA that we've been able to deliver for Canadians."

Ottawa continues to make its case that the metals tariffs are "unjust," and Canadian officials are working with their American counterparts to address the issue, Morneau added. But those talks, he said, are moving on a "separate track."

SENATORS PUSH FOR A LAME-DUCK USMCA VOTE: It feels as though we've seen this show before: Supporters of the new USMCA in the Senate are urging Trump to submit the deal to Congress right away so it can hold a vote before the end of the year, POLITICO's Burgess Everett reports. A dozen Senate Republicans with wide-ranging views on trade policy are saying it's in the president's best interest to move now on the trade agreement in case House Democrats, who will be in the majority come January, refuse to bring it up.

What's past is prologue: It wouldn't be unprecedented for House Democrats to let a trade deal fall by the wayside if they don't like what's in it. Then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) declined to bring up a Colombia free-trade agreement in 2008 when George W. Bush was president, though it was later passed during Barack Obama's presidency after being renegotiated.

Reality check: Outgoing Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) called it <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=8c6e2d3b96e2d30c3ba342a9fc78d4219f79376151723b731032f13eeab901a2004da88c1687d9ca974620eae10f092c> "not realistic" to pass the agreement during lame duck.


Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826




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