<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="font-size: 10pt;" class=""> </span></div><h1 style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 24pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(44, 44, 44);" class="">Trump threatens withdrawal from NAFTA while business pushes back<o:p class=""></o:p></span></h1><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-color: white;" class=""><span class="submitted-by"><b class=""><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-transform: uppercase;" class="">BY VICKI NEEDHAM - </span></b></span><span class="submitted-date"><b class=""><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); text-transform: uppercase;" class="">10/10/17 01:02 PM EDT<br class=""></span></b></span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="http://thehill.com/policy/finance/354728-trump-threatens-withdrawal-from-nafta-while-business-pushes-back" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class="">http://thehill.com/policy/finance/354728-trump-threatens-withdrawal-from-nafta-while-business-pushes-back</a><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: right; background-color: white;" class=""><br class=""></div><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">President Trump renewed his threat to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as the business community pushes back against the White House's trade agenda. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">Trump, who has harshly criticized the NAFTA as a disaster for American workers, has repeatedly called for severing trade ties with economic partners Mexico and Canada as part of a strategy to get a better deal for the United States.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">"I happen to think that NAFTA will have to be terminated if we're going to make it good,” Trump said in a wide-ranging interview with Forbes released on Tuesday.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">“Otherwise, I believe you can't negotiate a good deal," Trump said. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">Meanwhile, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Donohue is ramping up the ongoing battle with the White House over Trump's precarious NAFTA agenda.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">"Let me be forceful and direct," Donohue said during remarks on Tuesday in Mexico City.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">“There are several poison pill proposals still on the table that could doom the entire deal," he said.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">Donohue warned that Trump's threats to leave the deal are not considered bargaining chips in the complex negotiations between the three countries. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">"If the administration issued a withdrawal order, which requires a six-month waiting period, it would not be viewed by our partners in Canada and Mexico as a negotiating tactic," Donohue said. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">"Instead, it would abruptly slam the door on future negotiations because those governments have made it very clear they won’t negotiate with a gun to their head," he said. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">Leaving NAFTA would probably leave Mexico and Canada with no other options but to slap higher tariffs on the United States and possibly pull back from cooperating on other major issues such as terrorism, Donohue said. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">Last week, the Chamber said several of the White House's proposed changes to the 23-year-old NAFTA deal were "highly dangerous" and have the potential to kill the agreement. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">"All of these proposals are unnecessary and unacceptable," Donohue said Tuesday.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">"They have been met with strong opposition from the business and agricultural community, congressional trade leaders, the Canadian and Mexican governments and even other U.S. agencies," he said. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">The Chamber has been engaged in outreach with Mexico and Canada in an effort to build alliances on how the 23-year-old NAFTA agreement should be reshaped.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">He said the U.S.-Mexico partnership is being "tested against the misguided forces of protectionism."<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">"Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve reached a critical moment," Donohue said. <br class=""><br class="">"And the Chamber has had no choice but ring the alarm bells."<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">To further get the point across, the Chamber <a href="https://www.uschamber.com/letter/coalition-chamber-federation-letter-nafta-the-president-and-congress" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);" class=""><span style="color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">sent a letter to Trump on Tuesday</span></a> signed by 314 state and local chambers of commerce from across the nation, reiterating the benefits of NAFTA and insisting that U.S. negotiators “do no harm.”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">On Wednesday, the powerful business lobby is sending NAFTA supporters to canvass Capitol Hill in support of an updated pact.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">Donohue's remarks come a day before the ninth U.S.-Mexico CEO Dialogue, which aims to improve cooperation between the countries and strengthen economic ties. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">"Our free trade partners, in particular Canada and Mexico, are vital geopolitical allies in the fight against terrorism, transnational crime, and illegal immigration," Donohue said.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">"In these trying and complicated times, we must double down on these relationships, not drive them apart."<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">Trump told Forbes that he feels no obligation to honor the agreements from previous administrations, including free-trade deals.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">“It [TPP] would have been a disaster. It's a great honor to have — I consider that a great accomplishment, stopping that. And there are many people that agree with me. I like bilateral deals."<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">Shortly after taking office, Trump pulled the United States out of the TPP, a deal with 11 other Asia-Pacific nations touted by advocates as a means to anchor the nation in the rapidly growing region and provide a buffer to bad trade behavior by China.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">The TPP was completed two years ago but failed to reach Capitol Hill before President Obama left office. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">The Obama administration completed pacts with Colombia, Panama and South Korea, all deals that were started under President George W. Bush. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">The Trump administration has fired up talk with South Korea to revamp that deal, which went into effect in 2012.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">As far as NAFTA goes, Trump has repeatedly threatened to leave the agreement but has been talked out of the move by the business community and top leaders in Mexico and Canada. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">Those conversations are likely to fire up again this week with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau swinging through Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday. Trudeau is expected to meet with Trump at the White House before departing for Mexico.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;" class=""><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(43, 44, 48);" class="">The fourth round of negotiations start Wednesday in Washington.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div class="">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; " class=""><div class="">Arthur Stamoulis</div><div class="">Citizens Trade Campaign</div><div class="">(202) 494-8826</div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
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