Robertson Says CPTPP Expected to Influence NAFTA Renegotiation

This past Monday representatives of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico concluded round 6 of negotiations aimed at revamping the North American Free Trade Agreement and Round 7 is set for next month in Mexico

by Bruce Cochran – FarmScape Online

Colin Robertson, the Vice President and a Fellow of Canadian Global Affairs Institute, told FarmScape Online he expects news that Canada and Mexico, along with nine other nations, have reached agreement on a multilateral trade package to result in increased pressure from U.S. agriculture for a successful NAFTA renegotiation.

“The question of whether the Comprehensive Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership has an effect on the NAFTA negotiations,” Robertson speculated, “I think it probably does psychologically.”

Robertson expects the participation of Canada and Mexico in a free trade agreement with nine other markets to have some influence on the NAFTA negotiations.

“I think that the American farm community will be saying Canada now has first advantage”

 

“For one it unites both Canada and Mexico because Canada and Mexico are part of the CPTPP 11,” he added. “The fact that Canada and Mexico are working closely together and have signed this major, very high standard free trade agreement that involves Japan and nine other counties as well as Canada and Mexico in the Pacific, is a reminder that trade is not static and that the United States has probably fallen behind.”

Robertson says this probably puts some pressure on the U.S. particularly from agriculture to at least get the NAFTA updated because it doesn’t want to be left isolated from major markets, its two principle markets being Mexico and Canada.

“I think that the American farm community will be saying Canada now has first advantage, particularly when it comes to sales of our agri-food products, whether we’re talking about pulse and lentils, soy, but especially pork and beef, into the Japanese and Asian markets,” he said. “And other countries have already indicated that they would like to be a part of what is now called the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership.”