If there’s one thing Trump knows, it’s the art of the deal.
Last night, he showed his skills, giving Mexico a tough ultimatum, saying he was willing to kill NAFTA if that country didn’t renegotiate and agree to some significant changes.
This warning came hot on the heels of the first round of treaty negotiations, which left a pretty wide margin between the U.S. and other trading partners. While Trump’s tough talk with Mexico was expected, he gave the exact same warning to America’s northern neighbor: Canada.
According to Hot Air, U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday he might terminate the NAFTA trade treaty with Mexico and Canada after three-way talks failed to bridge deep differences. …
“Personally, I don’t think we can make a deal. I think we’ll probably end up terminating NAFTA at some point,” Trump said at a political rally in Phoenix, Arizona.
Suggesting a termination might help jumpstart the negotiations, Trump said: “I personally don’t think you can make a deal without a termination.”
To a large extent, Mexico and Canada are aiming to preserve NAFTA as is, with its duty-free trade among the countries, while updating the agreement with new chapters on e-commerce and other areas of cross-border business reflecting the new economy.
The Trump administration has talked about wanting wholesale changes, including new provisions for “substantial” American — not just North American — content on cars that qualify for duty-free trade; the elimination of a NAFTA panel for settling certain disputes; and “Buy American” preferential treatment for domestic businesses that bid on U.S. government procurement contracts.
Canada and Mexico aren’t too hip on those proposals, having voiced their opposition to such measures along with Trump’s making the reversal of U.S. trade deficits a top priority.
To put it simply, President Trump is looking out for America’s best economic interest, putting our nation first, which is precisely what many of his supporters wanted him to do, which is why they voted for him.
He promised us better deals, and it seems that’s what he’s working toward. Given his business record, there’s a high probability he’s going to succeed in his efforts.
If you want to be successful, you have to be willing to be tough; and when it comes to the art of the deal, it gets no tougher than Trump.
Source: Allen West
