The latest Bloomberg Businessweek reports that the Trump administration’s bark has not matched its bite when it comes to the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Donald Trump has gone squishy by stages on the North American Free Trade Agreement, which he once called “the worst trade deal maybe ever signed anywhere.” In April, aides persuaded him not to abrogate the 23-year-old trade pact with Canada and Mexico. On July 17, moderates scored another victory: The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative released objectives for renegotiating Nafta that aim to tune it up, not gut it. …
… True, there’s some harsh language about Nafta in the 18-page document. … But that campaign-style language is confined to the introduction. What follows are mainly mainstream ideas for furthering trade liberalization, such as speeding good through customs and ensuring that health and safety regulations aren’t manipulated to block imports.
