A NAFTA Deal Is Possible but Not by End of March
Wendy Cutler on Bloomberg
On February 2, 2018, ASPI Vice President Wendy Cutler discussed the outlook for the ongoing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations on “Bloomberg Markets: Balance of Power.”
Despite the seemingly slow progress in the negotiations, Cutler is optimistic that a deal is possible. “The U.S. has put some really novel proposals on the table, so it’s understandable it is taking more time than everyone expected,” Cutler says, adding that ““if both sides come to the table and really are committed to finding common ground a deal can be made.” However, in light of the upcoming presidential elections in Mexico, Cutler doubts that the negotiations can be concluded by the end of March.
As for what precedent the NAFTA negotiations sets for other trade agreements, Cutler believes there will be an impact on the United States’ trade relationship with other countries. “Every country that has an existing trade deal with the United States and countries who don’t [yet] have trade deals, are closely watching the NAFTA negotiations to see what transpires,” she states. Everyone is interested to see how President Trump’s pledge to make trade agreements “fair” and “reciprocal” will play out. (2 min., 44 sec.)