CPTPP expected to influence NAFTA renegotiation

by Corwyn Friesen (feat. Colin Robertson)

MySteinbach
January 31, 2018

The Vice-President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute 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.

On 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.

Colin Robertson, the Vice President and a Fellow of Canadian Global Affairs Institute, expects the participation of Canada and Mexico in a free trade agreement with nine other markets to have some influence on the NAFTA negotiations.

The question of whether the Comprehensive Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership has an effect on the NAFTA negotiations, I think it probably does psychologically. For one it unites both Canada and Mexico because Canada and Mexico are part of the CPTPP 11. 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.

I think that, from an American perspective, certainly 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 and soy and especially pork and beef into most importantly the Japanese market but also other market like Vietnam. 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.

Colin Robertson-Canadian Global Affairs Institute

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.