Mexico may have more to worry about than Canada in NAFTA talks, says economist
Posted August 15, 2017 7:28 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – We’ve heard the heated rhetoric for months, and the first round of NAFTA talks formally begin tomorrow. There are number of perspectives about which way these re-negotiations will go.
To hear our former ambassador to the US Derek Burney tell it, we have no reason to go into these talks optimistically. In his view, we’re about to enter a period of uncertainty.
But others feel Mexico will find itself the primary target for the Trump administration.
“It’s clear that what really consumes him with respect to NAFTA is the trade deficit with Mexico. In contrast, Canada’s trade with the United States, when you take out energy resources, is almost perfectly balanced,” says Scotiabank Deputy Chief Economist Brett House.
“We’re viewed as being a relatively fair trader with the United States. There’s very little irritation on the policy front,” he adds.
He says the talks will be a good chance to incorporate e-commerce into the trade agreement.
