The clock was set ticking this morning in a letter from U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer.
"We intend to initiate negotiations with Canada and Mexico as soon as practicable, but no earlier than 90 days from the date of this notice", Lighthizer wrote.
"This includes pursuit of trade agreements that eliminate unfair, discriminatory and non-science-based regulatory barriers that disadvantage the industry both here in North America and throughout the globe".
Congressman Roger Marshall spoke about the importance of trade and NAFTA at a Washington, D.C. reception for a grain trade delegation from Mexico. NAFTA is an worldwide trade agreement between the US, Mexico and Canada, and has been in place since 1994.
"Let me be clear: NAFTA is vital to the prosperity of the U.S. textile industry, and NCTO steadfastly supports continuing the agreement", said NCTO president and CEO Auggie Tantillo.
Lighthizer, during a hastily called telephone briefing with reporters, said that in giving notice to Congress of a 90-day consultation period - which is required under so-called fast-track trade legislation - President Trump was moving to fulfill his promise to "permanently reverse the risky trajectory of American trade".
Nonpartisan congressional research concluded in 2015 that NAFTA had not caused an exodus of jobs, nor was it a major job creator. He has also threatened to quit NAFTA so as to ramp up pressure on Canada and Mexico to renegotiate the trade agreement.
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NAFTA took effect in 1994 and triggered a big increase in trade among the three countries. However, their tone on NAFTA was a little different.
"The letter to Congress has a more conciliatory tone", said Gabriela Cuevas, the head of Mexico's Senate foreign relations committee and a member of the opposition National Action Party. American wheat imports began surging in Mexico after NAFTA, and Mexico is now the largest buyer of American wheat. "The world has changed".
Canada expressed support for NAFTA and said it is already prepared to negotiate. "We do have a preference: The agreement is trilateral and should continue to be a trilateral platform", Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray told reporters Chrystia Freeland, Canada's foreign minister said that talks "need to be conducted in a trilateral fashion", and that officials there are "ready to roll up our sleeves".
Our hope is that we can end up with the structure similar to what we have now.
Lighthize pledges to work closely with Congress throughout the negotiations and commits to providing "timely and substantive results for USA consumers, businesses, farmers, ranchers and workers".
Negotiations will enter a very sensitive environment. He opted for discussions with Canadian and Mexican officials to renegotiate the accord.
The time line to get a deal done is narrow too. "We export billions of dollars of corn and corn products to these countries each year". But he said he changed his mind after speaking with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.
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