Trump trade officials confer with Democratic members of House trade panel
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The Trump administration hopes to notify Congress the week of April 3 of its intention to launch trade negotiations with Canada and Mexico, Democratic lawmakers said following a meeting with Trump trade officials.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told members of the House Ways and Means Committee that work on the notice to renegotiate and update the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is on track and could be sent to Capitol Hill before the spring congressional recess, Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) said. Congress will adjourn from April 10 through April 21, going out of session April 7.
The 90-day notice, required under Trade Promotion Authority (TPA/fast-track), would pave the way for talks to begin as early as July.
The Mexican government would like to conclude the talks in 2017, Ross said during the closed-door meeting in the Ways and Means hearing room, adding that he would not hold up the negotiations. But Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Trade, said this timeline was not realistic.
The Trump administration wants a “seamless transition” between the exiting NAFTA agreement and a modernized version, Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) said. He added that the administration is seeking to increase market access for US agriculture, manufacturing and services.
Rep. Kind wants some details. “We certainly appreciate the secretary’s willingness to sit down and engage, but at some point we have to move beyond the platitudes and get to the substance of what their ultimate objective will be and that, so far, has been less than clear,” Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), who has been supportive of free trade, said after the meeting.
Few specifics revealed. Ross, acting US Trade Representative Stephen Vaughn and deputy general counsel Maria Pagan listened to lawmakers’ concerns. But they offered few specifics in return on White House negotiating objectives or how they plan to address issues ranging from agricultural market access to labor standards.
Ross said the Trump administration has yet to decide what structure the deal will take, said Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.). “He hasn’t necessarily decided whether it will be a bilateral or a trilateral agreement,” said Noem, a member of the Subcommittee on Trade.
On agriculture, some farm state lawmakers are worried about any rise in tensions with either Mexico or Canada during negotiations. “They’re very good customers of ours today and we want to maintain that relationship, so in these negotiations we don’t want to lose any market access,” Noem said. When she raised the issue with Ross, she added, “he said he agreed with me, so I took it.”
“We’ve discussed agriculture a lot, also in the last meeting with him as well,” added Rep. Jackie Walorski, (R-Ind.). “They understand, they’re hearing the message and I think the longer and more frequently they hear this message, the better off we are, the better shape we’re in.
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