<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><i class="">Couple articles below…</i><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/02/13/donald-trump-justin-trudeau-canada-nafta/97843778/" class="">http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/02/13/donald-trump-justin-trudeau-canada-nafta/97843778/</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><h1 class="asset-headline" itemprop="headline" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: 32px; line-height: 34px; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 20px 0px 0px 70px;">Trump soft pedals NAFTA criticism with Canadian PM, says Mexico the issue</h1><div class=""><br class=""></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">WASHINGTON — Pledging "bridges of commerce" with Canada, <culink class="culinks" culang="en" href="http://curiyo.com/en/topic/Donald Trump" title="" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; cursor: help; z-index: 9000; border-bottom-style: dashed !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 151, 247) !important; background-image: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;">President Trump</culink> told <culink class="culinks" culang="en" href="http://curiyo.com/en/topic/Justin Trudeau" title="" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; cursor: help; z-index: 9000; border-bottom-style: dashed !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 151, 247) !important; background-image: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;">Prime Minister Justin Trudeau</culink> on Monday he wants relatively minor changes to the <culink class="culinks" culang="en" href="http://curiyo.com/en/topic/North American Free Trade Agreement" title="" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; cursor: help; z-index: 9000; border-bottom-style: dashed !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 151, 247) !important; background-image: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;">North American Free Trade Agreement</culink>, adding that most of his problems with the massive trade deal involve the deal's third partner, Mexico.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">"We'll be tweaking it," Trump told reporters about NAFTA, which he attacked during last year's presidential campaign as a "disaster" that sent U.S. jobs to other countries. Trump did not specify what changes he would seek, but said most of the agreement's impact on U.S.-Canada trade relations is "a much less severe situation than what's taken place on the southern border:" Mexico.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">"We're going to work with Mexico," Trump said. "We're going to make it a fair deal for both parties."</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">As for Canada, Trump praised Trudeau for talks that ranged from trade to counter-terrorism. "We should coordinate closely and we will coordinate closely to protect jobs in our hemisphere and keep wealth on our continent and to keep everyone safe," the U.S. president said of his northern neighbor.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Trudeau, sometimes speaking in French, praised the trade pact, and said he had "productive" discussions with Trump, including the topic of "cross-border commerce." He called Canada an "essential partner" of the United States. Trudeau noted that millions of jobs on both sides of the border are depend on trade.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">"Relationships between neighbors are pretty complex, and we won't always agree on everything," he said, but added that at the end of the day, he believes the U.S.-Canadian relationship will remain strong.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">The two leaders also announced new efforts to fight drug abuse and help more women start and operate their own businesses.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Trump's pledge to re-work NAFTA — or void it altogether if he does not get satisfactory concessions — hovered over his first face-to-face meeting with Trudeau.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">On the campaign trail, Trump regularly attacked NAFTA as a bad trade deal that sent U.S. jobs to Mexico and Canada.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Trump has already clashed with Mexico, mostly over Trump's planned wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.</p><div id="module-position-PuiRNpPgD-k" class="story-asset oembed-asset" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><div class=" story-oembed-wrap" style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 50px;"><div class="story-oembed-twitter story-oembed-type-rich story-oembed js-oembed" data-oembed-type="rich" data-oembed-provider="twitter" style="display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; clear: both; text-align: center; width: 540px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" data-tweet-id="829741475781046276" title="Twitter Tweet" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 10px auto; position: static; visibility: visible; display: block; width: 500px; height: 203.171875px; padding: 0px; border-style: none; min-width: 220px;"></iframe></div></div></div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Trump, 70, and Trudeau, 45, are virtual polar opposites politically. Trudeau leads the Liberal Party of Canada, half his Cabinet is female and he is a backer of free trade. Canada has also accepted 40,000 Syrian refugees.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Trump’s immigration order — temporarily stayed by a federal court panel — would bar any Syrian refugees from traveling to the United States, only two of his 16 official Cabinet picks are women, and he has signaled he will take a more protectionist stance on trade.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">At the joint press conference Monday, Trudeau demurred when asked for his thoughts on Trump's order.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">"The last thing Canadians expect is for me to come down and lecture another country on how they choose to govern themselves," he said.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Trudeau suggested both he and Trump want the same thing — free and open countries where citizens are safe from terrorism — but are taking different approaches.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Trump said he wants a "big, beautiful open door, and we want people to come in," but he said "we cannot let the wrong people in," and Americans want that kind of security.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">"We are getting such praise for our stance, and it’s a stance of common sense," he said. "We are going to pursue it vigorously."</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Trudeau, the son of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, arrived at the White House shortly before 11 a.m. ET.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">After an Oval Office meeting, Trump and Trudeau attended what each side billed as a major act of bilateral cooperation: A "roundtable discussion" on "the advancement of women entrepreneurs and business leaders." Presidential daughter <culink class="culinks" culang="en" href="http://curiyo.com/en/topic/Ivanka Trump" title="" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; cursor: help; z-index: 9000; border-bottom-style: dashed !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 151, 247) !important; background-image: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;">Ivanka Trump</culink>, who has made women's issues a major part of her portfolio, will also participate.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">The president and prime minister announced the creation of a permanent "United States-Canada Council for the Advancement of Women Business Leaders-Female Entrepreneurs."</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Trump said "we need to make it easier" for women to create and lead businesses, while Trudeau talked about bringing down "significant barriers" to women entrepreneurs.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">The president and prime minister also had a "working lunch" prior to the news conference at which trade again became a major topic.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Trade with Canada totaled an estimated $662.7 billion in 2015, according to the U.S. Trade Representative. The United States exported $337.3 billion worth of goods and services and imported $325.4 billion worth.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Trudeau visited the White House last March, when he and then-President <culink class="culinks" culang="en" href="http://curiyo.com/en/topic/Barack Obama" title="" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; cursor: help; z-index: 9000; border-bottom-style: dashed !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; padding: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 151, 247) !important; background-image: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; background-attachment: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important;">Barack Obama</culink> announced a new border agreement aimed at streamlining regulations and reducing bottlenecks at border crossings.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">Trudeau joked during the visit that Canada would welcome Americans seeking to flee the United States if Trump was elected, but he was more diplomatic about the prospect of a Trump presidency at a White House press conference.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 60px; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);" class="">"The relationship, the friendship between our two countries goes far beyond any two individuals or any ideologies," Trudeau said. "I have tremendous confidence in the American people and look forward to working with whomever they choose to send to this White House later this year."</p></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""></div><div apple-content-edited="true" class=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px;"><br class=""></span></div><div apple-content-edited="true" class=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2017/02/13/ambassadors-treat-mexico-as-a-strategic-partner/?utm_term=.9f808753e379" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2017/02/13/ambassadors-treat-mexico-as-a-strategic-partner/?utm_term=.9f808753e379</a><o:p class=""></o:p></div><h1 style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 24pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Ambassadors: Treat Mexico as a strategic partner<o:p class=""></o:p></h1><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span class="pb-byline">By John D. Negroponte, James R. Jones, Jeffrey Davidow, Antonio Garza, Carlos Pascual and Earl Anthony Wayne</span> <span class="pb-timestamp">February 13 at 3:18 PM</span><o:p class=""></o:p></div><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><a name="e5f7a3ac54" class=""></a><em class="">John D. Negroponte was U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 1989 to 1993. James R. Jones was U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 1993 to 1997. Jeffrey Davidow was U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 1998 to 2002. Antonio Garza was U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2002 to 2009. Carlos Pascual was U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2009 to 2011. Earl Anthony Wayne was U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2011 to 2015.</em><o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Mexico is of enormous importance to the United States. We have strong strategic interests in a relationship of respect and collaboration with Mexico while we work through differences on trade, security and migration.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">U.S.-Mexico relations touch the daily lives of more Americans than ties with any other country, whether through culture, commerce or travel. U.S. prosperity and the security of our homeland are deeply affected by the type of relationship we have with our southern neighbor.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Much can be improved between Mexico and the United for the good of both countries, but tackling these challenges need not be a win-lose proposition. Both countries can gain security and prosperity. Reviving the animosity and “distance” that characterized our relationship in the 1970s or ’80s is dangerous and runs counter to our interests.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">The six of us have served as U.S. ambassadors to Mexico, managing the ever-improving relationship across Democratic and Republican administrations since the late 1980s. We have seen firsthand the strategic value of working cooperatively with Mexico to tackle common problems, including crime, terrorism and global economic competition. Along the way, Mexico has become a more democratic and prosperous country, making it a better and more reliable partner.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">We are now deeply concerned to see this foundation shaken. <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/2017-01/Obama_and_Trump_Slides.pdf" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">Public attitudes</a> in both countries are being soured by exaggerated public accusations. Mexicans believe that their national “dignity” has been insulted. Champions of closer cooperation with the United States are on the defensive. Nationalist voices are gaining traction. This is not in the United States’ long-term interest.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">The United States and Mexico started our modern journey to closer partnership with the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement. Collectively, the six of us have worked through every stage of NAFTA. This is not a perfect agreement, but neither is it the job-killer some have construed. Since NAFTA was signed in 1993, U.S. jobs linked to trade with Mexico grew from <a href="http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2016/04/memo-to-a-new-president-how-best-to-organize-the-national-security-council" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">700,000</a> to <a href="http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/wilson-center-study-finds-5-million-us-jobs-depend-trade-mexico" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">4.9 million</a>. The value of our two-way trade has grown sixfold, reaching <a href="https://ustr.gov/countries-regions/americas/mexico" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">$584 billion</a> in 2015. Mexico is now the <a href="https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/highlights/top/top1512yr.html" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">second-largest</a> market for U.S. exports, larger than our exports to China, Japan and Germany combined. Mexico is the third-largest buyer of U.S. agricultural products. We build many things together, with parts crossing borders in both directions — so much so that finished Mexican manufactured exports were found to have <a href="https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/working-together-economic-ties-between-the-united-states-and-mexico" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">40 percent U.S. content</a>.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><a href="http://www.bancomext.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ceb8ingles.pdf" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">U.S. jobs moved to Mexico</a>, but others were created by NAFTA. A 2013 study estimated that the United States is <a href="https://piie.com/publications/piie-briefings/nafta-20-years-later" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">$127 billion</a> richer each year because of extra NAFTA trade. New studies have made clear that the big causes of U.S. manufacturing job losses are automation and <a href="http://www.nber.org/papers/w21906" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">trade with China</a>, not NAFTA. NAFTA can be improved to help boost the US economy in such areas as “rule of origin,” services, e-commerce, border inefficiencies and labor standards. Those are the issues that should be negotiated based on facts to strengthen a long-term relationship that makes both countries more competitive.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Energy deserves special mention. Under NAFTA, Mexico’s nationalized energy sector was still off limits to US companies. In 2013, Mexico opened investment and trade in oil, natural gas, electricity, renewables and refined fuels to U.S. and other companies. Today, the U.S. exports more <a href="http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=natural_gas_imports" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">natural gas</a>and <a href="http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/PET_MOVE_EXPC_A_EPMOF_EEX_MBBL_M.htm" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">gasoline</a> to Mexico than to any country. In December, major U.S. companies won licenses to develop Mexico’s oil reserves, while others are partners in new pipelines. These openings make North America more energy secure.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">The U.S. deficit with Mexico gets more public attention than it deserves. Mexico represents <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/gloom-descends-on-mexicos-free-trade-capital-1485449547" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">8 percent of our deficit</a>. Our deficits with China, the European Union and Japan are larger. The deficit with Mexico declined by more than 40 percent between 2010 and 2015, even as our trade grew 35 percent.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">A sharp point of contention has been over the border wall and migration. The great irony is that today there are <a href="http://www.pewhispanic.org/2016/09/20/overall-number-of-u-s-unauthorized-immigrants-holds-steady-since-2009/" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">1.1 million</a> fewer undocumented Mexicans in the United States than in 2007. <a href="http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/media-resources/stats" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">Apprehensions</a> of Mexicans at the border have reached the lowest levels of this century. Mexico has joined us to manage the surge in migrants from Central America, deporting more than 165,000 from its <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2016-Apr/FY%202015%20CBP%20PAR_508C.pdf" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">southern border</a> in 2015, more than the United States did. Publicly demanding that Mexico pay for a wall that Mexicans don’t think is needed has fueled anti-American nationalism. That limits the capacity of Mexico’s government to work with us to find solutions.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Common borders also made Mexico and the United States partners in national security. Ever since 9/11, Mexico and the United States have worked closely to stop potential terrorists from entering the United States. We also work to improve the fight against illicit trafficking. The trafficking of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/12/08/heroin-deaths-surpass-gun-homicides-for-the-first-time-cdc-data-show/?utm_term=.447bdde0cca6" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">heroin</a>and other drugs into the United States and the smuggling of weapons and drug profits into Mexico fuel violence, corruption and <a href="http://laopinion.com/2017/01/26/homicidios-en-mexico-aumentaron-22-en-2016/" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">deaths</a> in both countries. Still, during the years of our collective service, law enforcement officials have built trust, competency and legal channels to act against criminal networks. That cooperation needs to be strengthened, not undermined.<o:p class=""></o:p></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class="">Together, the authors have witnessed profound and positive changes in the U.S.-Mexico relationship over the past quarter century. We urge that the United States engage in serious, fact-based negotiations over differences on trade and other issues. Intimidating or denigrating remarks make it harder to reach outcomes that support American economic and security interests and fuel anti-Americanism in Mexico. Workers, companies and communities of both countries will prosper with a long-term strategic partnership between the United States and Mexico. Let’s keep building it.</p></div></body></html>