Trump wants to restrict trade and immigration. Here’s why he can’t do both.

9/11/2017 The Washington Post

Recently, trade negotiators from the United States, Canada and Mexico concluded the first round of talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. President Trump has made clear that he wants a deal that cuts the U.S. trade deficit— and brings manufacturing jobs back to the United States. Trump also threatened to withdraw from the South Korea-U.S. free-trade agreement (KORUS), citing unfair trade practices and a desire to bring home U.S. jobs.

At the same time, Trump is supporting the Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act (Raise Act), which would cut legal immigration by 50 percent. And he announced the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which could mean the deportation of about 690,000 “dreamers” — immigrants who came into the country illegally as children.

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As NAFTA Talks Restart, Canada and Mexico are Unfazed by Trump’s Threats

8/31/2017 Foreign Policy

The second round of talks for renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement is set to start Friday in Mexico. Since the conclusion of the first round, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the trade agreement. How, then, are U.S. neighbors dealing with the impending round two?

Just fine.

For one thing, while public opinion in the United States toward NAFTA is split, Canadians and Mexicans are in general agreement that the deal is good for their countries.

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[VIDEO] Renegotiating NAFTA Round Two

After what has been described as a tough round one in Washington, the process of renegotiating NAFTA is set to move to Mexico for round two. Beyond the negotiating table, President Trump continues to suggest that he may choose to withdraw from the agreement all together. Mexico Institute Director Duncan Wood summarizes the state of the negotiations and provides analysis on what we can expect next. That’s the focus of this edition of Wilson Center NOW.

Guest

Duncan Wood, Director of the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute, is a “North American citizen,” lecturing and publishing widely in the United States, Mexico and Canada on intracontinental issues and relations, with a primary focus on U.S.-Mexican ties. A widely-quoted authority on energy policy, international banking regulation and corruption, he works closely with the World Economic Forum and leverages decades of experience at Mexico’s leading universities and newspapers.

Host
John Milewski is the executive producer and managing editor of Wilson Center NOW and also serves as director of Wilson Center ON DEMAND digital programming. Previously he served as host and producer of Dialogue at the Wilson Center and Close Up on C-SPAN. He also teaches a course on politics and media for Penn State’s Washington Program.

The Sprint to Revise NAFTA Has Millions of Jobs on the Line

8/21/2017 The Hill

By Earl Anthony Wayne, Global Fellow & Advisory Board Member, Mexico Institute

Modernizing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is beginning with a “sprint.” The three governments have agreed to an accelerated set of negotiating rounds to see if they can forge an updated arrangement for trade between Mexico, Canada and the United States by early 2018. It will be a tough dash, with immensely important stakes.

The early “sprint” is because Mexico’s July 2018 presidential and congressional elections close the political window for approval of an agreement in Mexico by early 2018. Delay will prolong the uncertainty, including on what positions a new Mexican team might take. If the “sprint” does not work, the negotiations will shift to a jog, until after a new Mexican president enters office in December 2018.

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Trump hates NAFTA, but it has made Florida a jobs winner

7/31/2017 The Miami Herald

By Jerry Haar, Global Fellow, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Donald Trump has called NAFTA the “single worst trade deal in history.” However, I believe that dubious honor should go to the Rus’–Byzantine Treaty between the Byzantine emperorConstantine VII and Igor I of Kiev, concluded in 945 A.D. (Russia really lost bigly on that one.)

NAFTA has been the proverbial whipping boy, a veritable piñata, since its inception in 1994. Despite a slew of highly sophisticated studies carried out by independent economists that clearly show that NAFTA has produced marginal gains and only marginal losses, politicians, ideologues, and pundits of the left and right continue to slam the agreement as the economic equivalent of the bubonic plague.

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UPCOMING EVENT | Mexico and the NAFTA Negotiations

WHEN: Tuesday, August 15, 9:00-11:00 AM

WHERE: Wilson Center

Click to RSVP

Negotiators from the United States, Mexico, and Canada are set to begin an intense effort to modernize the NAFTA agreement on August 16, 2017. Please join us on August 15th, the eve of the opening round, for a discussion of Mexico’s approach to the negotiations.

The United States Trade Representative recently announced the U.S. objectives for a modernized North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a step that was required by U.S. trade law. Many of the stated goals will be shared by Mexico and Canada, but others will be controversial.

Mexico’s Secretary of the Economy, Ildefonso Guajardo, recently announced that Mexico will not make a similar official statement of objectives, but top officials have been clear that they will seek to expand, rather than restrict trade within North America. To better understand Mexico’s goals and strategy as the negotiations begin, we have invited three of Mexico’s top trade experts, including two former officials and the current head of Mexico’s NAFTA office in Washington, DC. We hope you can join us for what promises to be an interesting and important conversation.

Introduction
Duncan Wood, Director, Mexico Institute, Wilson Center

Speakers
Kenneth Smith, Director of the Trade and NAFTA Office, Embassy of Mexico, Washington, DC

Francisco de Rosenzweig, Partner, White & Case LLP; Former Undersecretary for Foreign Trade, Ministry of the Economy, Mexico

Luz Maria de la Mora, Director, LMM Consulting; Former Unit Chief for Economic Relations and International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mexico

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[Video] Charting a New Course Part 1: U.S.-Mexico Economic Interdependence

The Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute has released a series of new essays covering a range of important bilateral issues. We kick off our companion video series, “Charting a New Course,” with a focus on economic interdependence. Mexico Institute Deputy Director, Chris Wilson provides an overview of the scope and depth of U.S.-Mexico economic cooperation and also talks about what can be done to make the alliance stronger. That’s the focus of this edition of Wilson Center NOW.

Watch the video…