[CTC] Canada begins process to ratify new NAFTA: report

[Arthur Stamoulis]

https://thehill.com/policy/finance/445690-canada-begins-process-to-ratify-new-nafta

Canada begins process to ratify new NAFTA: report
BY CHRIS MILLS RODRIGO <https://thehill.com/author/chris-mills-rodrigo> - 05/27/19 10:19 PM EDT

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday notified the country's lawmakers he intends to bring forward legislation to ratify United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the deal that replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Bloomberg News reported.

Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland introduced a “ways and means” motion in the House of Commons, the first step to getting the deal approved by parliament.

Trudeau said last week that he was eager to complete a deal, according to Bloomberg.

Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to meet with Trudeau in Ottawa on Thursday to discuss advancing the agreement.

The U.S. earlier this month reached a deal to lift steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico, removing a significant roadblock to domestic approval of the USMCA. Canadian and Mexican officials have now indicated they will ratify the agreement.

Congressional Democrats, however, have said involved parties must tighten labor and environmental standards before passage in the U.S.

=====

Trudeau government introduces bill to begin USMCA consideration in Canadian Parliamen

By Alexander Panetta and Lauren Gardner, Politico Pro
05/27/2019 04:12 PM EDT

The Canadian government today took an early procedural step toward potential ratification of the new North American trade deal by introducing a related motion in the House of Commons.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland introduced a Ways and Means motion, which informs the House of Commons of legislative changes that will be included in an upcoming bill to implement the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

"Now that [steel and aluminum tariffs] have been lifted, our government intends to move ahead with ratification of the new NAFTA," Freeland said. "Insofar as possible, we intend to move in tandem with the United States."

The motion announces changes that must be made to Canadian law under the trade deal to replace NAFTA. Its adoption is considered necessary for Canada's Parliament to later vote to ratify the USMCA.

Canada faces a time crunch in that effort: Parliament adjourns in late June ahead of the federal election in the fall, leaving little time this year to ratify the trade pact.

Several Canadian officials have told POLITICO the Trudeau government is still weighing different possible courses of action. One option is to quickly ratify USMCA; another would be to start the legislative process but await confirmation that the U.S. Congress will approve the deal before Canadian lawmakers hold a final vote to ratify the agreement.

The latter option could require the Canadian Parliament to be recalled for an emergency session this summer.

One Canadian official said today that the options will be discussed Tuesday at a meeting of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Cabinet.

Freeland said the U.S. ratification process will be a topic of conversation when Vice President Mike Pence visits Ottawa later this week.


Arthur Stamoulis
Citizens Trade Campaign
(202) 494-8826




-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.citizenstrade.org/pipermail/ctcfield-citizenstrade.org/attachments/20190528/0d4fd6da/attachment.html>