To make these demands of the Trudeau government -- notably that there be public consultations prior to the beginning of the talks on June 15 -- please go to our online action alert here: [ http://canadians.org/blog/public-consul ... ld-june-15 ]
= = = =
Public consultations on NAFTA must be held before June 15
[ http://canadians.org/blog/public-consul ... ld-june-15 ]
March 6, 2017 - 4:33 pm
It would appear that the Trudeau government wants to see elements of the twelve-country Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
A Bloomberg interview with Canada's ambassador to the US David MacNaughton suggests the Trudeau government is:
1- seeking to streamline or to "move along quicker" dispute resolution procedures whether through NAFTA or the World Trade Organization
2- seeking unspecified improvements that had been included in the TPP
3- opposed to Buy-American provisions and a proposal for a tax on imports
4- seeking provisions on the pre-clearance of cargo
5- interested in establishing government powers in labour standards.
The Trudeau government also wants the NAFTA negotiations to begin sooner.
It is believed that US President Donald Trump will formally indicate to Congress 'sometime around March 15th' that his administration intends to renegotiate the deal. Given that mid-March notification would begin a 90-day review period, formal negotiations are expected to begin June 15.
MacNaughton says, "People are sitting on their wallets and they’re not investing as much as they would if there was more certainty."
The Council of Canadians is calling on the Trudeau government to commit to:
1- transparency through the entirety of the negotiations – especially in regards to what Trudeau is conceding to Trump to maintain NAFTA
2- meaningful consultations with the general public, as well as consultations and consent from First Nations
3- removal of the controversial Chapter 11 investor-state provision
4- removal of all references to water in NAFTA as a good, service or investment, unless to allow for the specific protection or exclusion of water
5- an exemption from NAFTA's energy proportionality rule in order to meet our Paris climate commitments
6- a North American Auto Pact to ensure that each country receives a proportional share of employment and investment, and that workers have good jobs and fair wages
7- strengthening the exemption of medicare in NAFTA to allow for an expansion of public health care in areas including pharmacare
8- protection of farmers and local control over farm and food polices
9- the right to use procurement to create jobs and local economic projects
10- clear rules assessing that trade serves communities and people, not the other way around.
To make these demands of the Trudeau government -- notably that there be public consultations prior to the beginning of the talks on June 15 -- please go to our online action alert here: [ http://canadians.org/blog/public-consul ... ld-june-15 ]
Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ http://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]
NAFTA: public consultations must be held before June 15
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• Page 1 of 1
NAFTA: public consultations must be held before June 15
by Oscar » Mon Mar 06, 2017 5:07 pm
- Oscar
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Re: NAFTA: public consultations must be held before June 15
by Oscar » Thu Mar 09, 2017 11:33 am
US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says new chapters could be added to NAFTA
[ http://canadians.org/blog/us-commerce-s ... dded-nafta ]
March 8, 2017 - 4:58 pm
The Council of Canadians has been mobilizing people across the country to send a message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the upcoming renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
More than 10,000 people have responded to our online action alert [ https://secure.canadians.org/ea-action/ ... n.id=63184 ] and have sent this message to the prime minister and opposition parties.
Now Wilbur Ross, a billionaire banker named by US President Donald Trump to be his Commerce Secretary, says that several entire new chapters could be added to the trinational agreement.
In terms of the US agenda for the talks, Ross says, "It's an old treaty. Our economy is very different from what it was when … that treaty was entered into. There were some things in [the original] that were missed. There were things in it that were not done correctly to begin with. And a lot of things that might have been OK back then but don't work now. So there's a lot to fix … Several chapters need to be added because of the digital economy and other things that have developed subsequently."
In January, The Globe and Mail reported, "[Ross] has informed Canada that rules of origin and independent dispute tribunals will be central to talks aimed at resetting NAFTA." The investor-state dispute panels are "on Mr. Ross's radar" given he believes "these independent panels are unaccountable and give too much power to Mexico and Canada". This despite the fact that the United States has never lost a NAFTA investor-state case or paid any compensation to Canadian or Mexican companies, while Canada has paid $170 million and Mexico $204 million in lost or settled claims.
The Canadian Press also reports, "Ross has made no secret of his desire to adjust rules of origin for tariff-free vehicles, to bring the production of auto parts closer to home. What's unclear is whether those changes would be aimed simply at reducing imports of parts from Asia, or from the North American neighbours."
In terms of when the talks would begin, Ross says, "You're talking probably the latter part of this year before real negotiations get underway. [Then] I think the negotiations hopefully won't take more than a year." That's later than the speculation of June 15 as the start date for the formal talks.
Ross also praises Trump's bellicose approach on trade. He says, "He's made my job easier by softening up the adverse parties. What could be better than going into a trade negotiation where the fellow on the other side knows he has to make concessions? ...The Mexicans know, the Canadians know, everybody knows, times are different. ...And they all know they're going to have to make concessions. The only question is what's the magnitude, and what's the form of the concessions."
The Trudeau government has been even less forthcoming in making public its negotiating position. Earlier this week, David MacNaughton, the Canadian ambassador to the US, said he wants dispute resolution procedures to "move along quicker" and that he was interested in adding (unspecified) improvements that had been included in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
And in November 2016, the Canadian Press reported, "Canada has been hoping for years to modernize NAFTA’s visa rules — considered out-of-date and cumbersome by companies that operate in both countries. NAFTA allows easy access to visas for a list of professions, but that list is more than two decades old and barely references jobs related to the digital economy."
Other than those snippets, MacNaughton says he has "a good sense of what would be in Canada’s interest" and that he wants to avoid negotiating in public, but we believe transparency and accountability are needed.
To tell Prime Minister Trudeau that the renegotiation cannot be another backroom deal, please click here:
[ https://secure.canadians.org/ea-action/ ... n.id=63184 ]
Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ http://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]
[ http://canadians.org/blog/us-commerce-s ... dded-nafta ]
March 8, 2017 - 4:58 pm
The Council of Canadians has been mobilizing people across the country to send a message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the upcoming renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
More than 10,000 people have responded to our online action alert [ https://secure.canadians.org/ea-action/ ... n.id=63184 ] and have sent this message to the prime minister and opposition parties.
Now Wilbur Ross, a billionaire banker named by US President Donald Trump to be his Commerce Secretary, says that several entire new chapters could be added to the trinational agreement.
In terms of the US agenda for the talks, Ross says, "It's an old treaty. Our economy is very different from what it was when … that treaty was entered into. There were some things in [the original] that were missed. There were things in it that were not done correctly to begin with. And a lot of things that might have been OK back then but don't work now. So there's a lot to fix … Several chapters need to be added because of the digital economy and other things that have developed subsequently."
In January, The Globe and Mail reported, "[Ross] has informed Canada that rules of origin and independent dispute tribunals will be central to talks aimed at resetting NAFTA." The investor-state dispute panels are "on Mr. Ross's radar" given he believes "these independent panels are unaccountable and give too much power to Mexico and Canada". This despite the fact that the United States has never lost a NAFTA investor-state case or paid any compensation to Canadian or Mexican companies, while Canada has paid $170 million and Mexico $204 million in lost or settled claims.
The Canadian Press also reports, "Ross has made no secret of his desire to adjust rules of origin for tariff-free vehicles, to bring the production of auto parts closer to home. What's unclear is whether those changes would be aimed simply at reducing imports of parts from Asia, or from the North American neighbours."
In terms of when the talks would begin, Ross says, "You're talking probably the latter part of this year before real negotiations get underway. [Then] I think the negotiations hopefully won't take more than a year." That's later than the speculation of June 15 as the start date for the formal talks.
Ross also praises Trump's bellicose approach on trade. He says, "He's made my job easier by softening up the adverse parties. What could be better than going into a trade negotiation where the fellow on the other side knows he has to make concessions? ...The Mexicans know, the Canadians know, everybody knows, times are different. ...And they all know they're going to have to make concessions. The only question is what's the magnitude, and what's the form of the concessions."
The Trudeau government has been even less forthcoming in making public its negotiating position. Earlier this week, David MacNaughton, the Canadian ambassador to the US, said he wants dispute resolution procedures to "move along quicker" and that he was interested in adding (unspecified) improvements that had been included in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
And in November 2016, the Canadian Press reported, "Canada has been hoping for years to modernize NAFTA’s visa rules — considered out-of-date and cumbersome by companies that operate in both countries. NAFTA allows easy access to visas for a list of professions, but that list is more than two decades old and barely references jobs related to the digital economy."
Other than those snippets, MacNaughton says he has "a good sense of what would be in Canada’s interest" and that he wants to avoid negotiating in public, but we believe transparency and accountability are needed.
To tell Prime Minister Trudeau that the renegotiation cannot be another backroom deal, please click here:
[ https://secure.canadians.org/ea-action/ ... n.id=63184 ]
Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ http://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]
- Oscar
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9966
- Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 3:23 pm
Re: NAFTA: public consultations must be held before June 15
by Oscar » Thu Mar 09, 2017 11:40 am
US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says Canada will need to make NAFTA concessions
[ http://canadians.org/blog/us-commerce-s ... oncessions ]
March 9, 2017 - 11:22 am
The Council of Canadians has been mobilizing people across the country to send a message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the upcoming renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
More than 10,000 people have responded to our online action alert calling on Trudeau to be open and transparent with the public on these talks.
Now US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says, "The Mexicans know, the Canadians know, everybody knows, times are different. ...And they all know they're going to have to make concessions. The only question is what's the magnitude, and what's the form of the concessions."
Ross hasn't specified what those concessions would be, but Trudeau government officials have been meeting regularly with Trump administration officials in the lead-up to the formal start of the talks and may well have a sense about what the Americans will be demanding from us.
In January, The Globe and Mail reported, "[Ross] has informed Canada that rules of origin and independent dispute tribunals will be central to talks aimed at resetting NAFTA." The investor-state dispute panels are "on Mr. Ross's radar" given he believes "these independent panels are unaccountable and give too much power to Mexico and Canada". This despite the fact that the United States has never lost a NAFTA investor-state case or paid any compensation to Canadian or Mexican companies, while Canada has paid $170 million and Mexico $204 million in lost or settled claims.
The Canadian Press also reports, "Ross has made no secret of his desire to adjust rules of origin for tariff-free vehicles, to bring the production of auto parts closer to home. What's unclear is whether those changes would be aimed simply at reducing imports of parts from Asia, or from the North American neighbours."
Trump is expected to signal to the US Congress by mid-March that he intends to renegotiate NAFTA, which would launch a 90-day review period. That means formal talks could begin as soon as June 15, though 'unofficial' talks have been underway for months and Ross now hints the formal talks may not start until later this year.
David MacNaughton, the Canadian ambassador to the US, has said (even without public consultations) he has "a good sense of what would be in Canada's interest", but has made no disclosures about Canada's negotiating position and the public is left unaware about what the Trudeau government could concede to Trump to maintain an agreement they have described as having been beneficial for Canada (despite all the evidence to the contrary).
To tell Prime Minister Trudeau that his government needs to be open and transparent throughout the entirety of the negotiating process -- meaning both the unofficial talks happening now and the formal talks that could begin in mid-June or later this year -- please click here: [ https://secure.canadians.org/ea-action/ ... n.id=63184 ]
Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ http://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]
[ http://canadians.org/blog/us-commerce-s ... oncessions ]
March 9, 2017 - 11:22 am
The Council of Canadians has been mobilizing people across the country to send a message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about the upcoming renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
More than 10,000 people have responded to our online action alert calling on Trudeau to be open and transparent with the public on these talks.
Now US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says, "The Mexicans know, the Canadians know, everybody knows, times are different. ...And they all know they're going to have to make concessions. The only question is what's the magnitude, and what's the form of the concessions."
Ross hasn't specified what those concessions would be, but Trudeau government officials have been meeting regularly with Trump administration officials in the lead-up to the formal start of the talks and may well have a sense about what the Americans will be demanding from us.
In January, The Globe and Mail reported, "[Ross] has informed Canada that rules of origin and independent dispute tribunals will be central to talks aimed at resetting NAFTA." The investor-state dispute panels are "on Mr. Ross's radar" given he believes "these independent panels are unaccountable and give too much power to Mexico and Canada". This despite the fact that the United States has never lost a NAFTA investor-state case or paid any compensation to Canadian or Mexican companies, while Canada has paid $170 million and Mexico $204 million in lost or settled claims.
The Canadian Press also reports, "Ross has made no secret of his desire to adjust rules of origin for tariff-free vehicles, to bring the production of auto parts closer to home. What's unclear is whether those changes would be aimed simply at reducing imports of parts from Asia, or from the North American neighbours."
Trump is expected to signal to the US Congress by mid-March that he intends to renegotiate NAFTA, which would launch a 90-day review period. That means formal talks could begin as soon as June 15, though 'unofficial' talks have been underway for months and Ross now hints the formal talks may not start until later this year.
David MacNaughton, the Canadian ambassador to the US, has said (even without public consultations) he has "a good sense of what would be in Canada's interest", but has made no disclosures about Canada's negotiating position and the public is left unaware about what the Trudeau government could concede to Trump to maintain an agreement they have described as having been beneficial for Canada (despite all the evidence to the contrary).
To tell Prime Minister Trudeau that his government needs to be open and transparent throughout the entirety of the negotiating process -- meaning both the unofficial talks happening now and the formal talks that could begin in mid-June or later this year -- please click here: [ https://secure.canadians.org/ea-action/ ... n.id=63184 ]
Brent Patterson's blog
Political Director of the Council of Canadians
[ http://canadians.org/blogs/brent-patterson ]
- Oscar
- Site Admin
- Posts: 9966
- Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 3:23 pm
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