Trump to send new U.S.-Mexico trade deal to Congress
WASHINGTON, D.C. – After reaching an agreement in principle with Mexico, Donald Trump notified members of Congress today that he will send them the text of a new U.S.-Mexico agreement to approve or disapprove this year, potentially cutting Canada out of a new NAFTA agreement.
Trump believes that under the terms of trade promotion authority (or TPA) legislation, he must give Congress notice 90 days in advance of consideration of a new trade agreement. However, some trade policy experts believe TPA provisions providing for a quick up or down vote would not apply to a bilateral agreement such as Trump’s current deal with Mexico. That said, Canada might join the deal later, potentially resolving that question.
Congressional action on NAFTA 2.0 can be expected in November after the mid-term elections.
Bill Waren, senior trade analyst at Friends of the Earth, has released this statement:
Trump’s haphazard NAFTA deal is an across-the-board threat to essential environmental and public health protections. NAFTA 2.0 would ramp up global warming and hamstring efforts to sharply reduce the production and burning of fossil fuels. It would similarly undercut sustainable agricultural, biotechnology, food safety and other current and future environmental regulations. Trump’s trade agreement with Mexico is a corporate giveaway intended to sharply limit the powers of government to protect people and the planet.
Expert contact: Bill Waren, (202) 277-3505, [email protected]
Communications contact: Patrick Davis, (202) 222-0744, [email protected]