The first round of talks between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, ended last week with all three sides saying they’re committed to getting negotiations done as quickly as possible. The next round of talks is scheduled for September 1-5 in Mexico. Talks then move to Canada in late September before coming back to America in October. Bloomberg says a joint statement issued by the countries acknowledges that there’s a lot of work ahead in the coming months but all three countries are committed to an accelerated and comprehensive negotiation process. The goal is to update the agreement and establish 21st century standards to benefit all citizens. Part of the pressure to get negotiations done as quickly as possible likely comes from elections held next year in Mexico as well as the U.S. congressional midterm elections in November of 2018. The opening round got off to a tense start last week as U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said the U.S. wouldn’t accept a “tweaking” of the deal that President Trump says has failed Americans and gutted U.S. manufacturing. Experts tell Bloomberg the most challenging parts of the discussions come when negotiators deal with issues like dispute resolution and the rules-of-origin that dictate local content requirements in products traded between the countries.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.