<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=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class=""><a href="https://foe.org/second-round-secret-nafta-negotiations-threaten-public-interest/" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">https://foe.org/second-round-secret-nafta-negotiations-threaten-public-interest/</a><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class=""><img apple-inline="yes" id="50BA18B4-952E-4A18-B995-509D14CA4017" height="115" width="276" apple-width="yes" apple-height="yes" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D3265E.8C120990" class=""></span><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class="">For Immediate Release:</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""> September 5, 2017<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class="">Expert contact: </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class="">Bill Waren, (202) 222-0746, </span><a href="mailto:wwaren@foe.org" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class="">wwaren@foe.org</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(5, 99, 193);" class=""><br class=""></span></a><b class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class="">Communications contact:</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""> Patrick Davis, (202) 222-0744, </span><a href="mailto:pdavis@foe.org" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class="">pdavis@foe.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class="">Second Round of Secret NAFTA Negotiations Threaten Public Interest </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class="">WASHINGTON, D.C. –</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""> As the second round of secret negotiations on a new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) draws to a close in Mexico City today, it has been reported that Canadian negotiators have pushed for “regulatory review” language that threatens sensible food, biotechnology, and other environmental regulations.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class="">Bill Waren, senior trade analyst at Friends of the Earth,</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""> issued the following statement in response:<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class="">Regulatory review based on the failed Trans Pacific Partnership and the harmful E.U.-Canada trade deals will stymie new public interest regulations before they can be proposed to the public.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class="">All of this runs counter to the idea that deregulatory action should not be taken if the consequences are highly uncertain and potentially quite dangerous to the environment or our communities. If the leaks from this round are true, the breakdown of environmental safeguards in this potential agreement will put people, our food supply, and our planet at risk.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class="">For more information, please see Friends of the Earth’s </span><a href="https://medium.com/@foe_us/10-ways-that-trumps-new-nafta-threatens-people-and-the-planet-69ad38b8399f" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class="">blog on how Trump’s new NAFTA threatens people and the planet</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""> and the <a href="https://foe.org/trump-brings-xenophobic-agenda-nafta/" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">joint statement of Friends of the Earth Mexico and Friends of the Earth, U.S. on NAFTA renegotiation</a>.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><i class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class="">###<o:p class=""></o:p></span></i></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><i class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></i></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: center;" class=""><i class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class="">Friends of the Earth fights to create a more healthy and just world. Our current campaigns focus on promoting clean energy and solutions to climate change, ensuring the food we eat and products we use are safe and sustainable, and protecting marine ecosystems and the people who live and work near them.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></i></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" class=""> </span></div></body></html>