Listado de la etiqueta: Canada

USMCA traerá más beneficios que el TLCAN

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Publimetro / María Leonor Noyola Cervantes / 8 octubre

 

La senadora Leonor Noyola respondió ¿El nuevo tratado USMCA será más o menos beneficioso para México que el TLCAN?

Del Tratado de Libre Comercio con América del Norte, se puede destacar que, en el periodo que comprenden los años de 1993 al 2015, el comercio entre los tres países se cuadruplicó, al pasar de 297 mil millones de dólares a 1.14 billones de dólares, lo que impulsó la economía de los tres países y redujo los precios para los consumidores. Gracias a este efecto, millones de mexicanos pueden comprar productos que antes les estaban reservados a una clase media que representaba menos de una tercera parte de la población.

El TLCAN, para convertirlo en un nuevo Acuerdo Estados Unidos-México-Canadá (USMCA, por sus siglas en inglés) logra que, cuando menos en el papel, promoverá el aprovechamiento de nuevas tecnologías en el comercio, fortaleciendo la competitividad de América del Norte como plataforma industrial; aun y cuando gran parte de la producción recae en el intercambio con los Estados Unidos y, en menor medida, con Canadá.

Se tendrán más beneficios que el Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte, puesto que las tres naciones en su negociación se enfocaron en adaptarse a las nuevas necesidades de todos los sectores de la economía mexicana; lo que se reflejará en la estabilidad y certeza a los intercambios comerciales entre, significando el inicio de una nueva etapa de las relaciones productivas y comerciales en nuestra región.

De los temas trascendentes que deseo destacar, es el concerniente al ramo de la industria automotriz; en dicho rubro, EU garantiza a sus socios, amplio acceso; libre de aranceles en caso de que impusiera nuevos a aquellos automóviles provenientes de otros países; adicional que, incentivará la creación de más empleos y mejores salarios en beneficio de los trabajadores de nuestro país (16 dólares la hora). Mientras tanto, la introducción de una cláusula de caducidad: el USMCA finalizará en 16 años, a menos que las partes acuerden extenderlo.

Además, el Consejo Coordinador Empresarial (CCE), coincide con que las exportaciones mexicanas crecerán 50 por ciento hacia la región de Norteamérica durante los siguientes 10 años, esto implica que las empresas instaladas en México tendrán mejor productividad y mayores ganancias, además de tener crecimiento en el empleo que tanto necesitamos.

 

Publimetro / María Leonor Noyola Cervantes / 8 octubre

 

USMCA protege de la expropiación a ferrocarriles, puertos, hidrocarburos y energía

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Construcción Pan-Americana / Info.Transportes / 15 Octubre

 

El Acuerdo Estados Unidos-México-Canadá (USMCA, por sus siglas en inglés) protege las inversiones norteamericanas en México. El pasado 30 de setiembre se alcanzó el acuerdo definitivo para modernizar al Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte (TLCAN), vigente desde 1994.

En el capítulo 14 del USMCA, se puntualiza las modalidades para reclamar afectaciones a las inversiones si éstas impactaran cinco sectores: transportes, proyectos de infraestructura, generación de energía, hidrocarburos o telecomunicaciones.

De esta manera las empresas que ya disfruten concesiones mediante contratos en estos sectores (como ferrocarriles, puertos, aeropuertos, explotación de minerales, hidrocarburos) contarán con la certidumbre necesaria, al evitar expropiaciones o interpretaciones expansivas del Acuerdo por parte de tribunales arbitrales.

Además de que el USMCA mantiene un mecanismo de solución de diferencias entre México y EE.UU., los inversionistas tienen derecho a reclamar daños y prejuicios por la afectación de su inversión a través de dos modalidades: violación a las obligaciones de trato nacional, y declarar una trasgresión al capítulo de inversión cuando ésta sea parte de un contrato.

Tan solo durante este sexenio (que va del 2013 al segundo trimestre de 2018), la inversión extranjera directa proveniente de la Unión Americana asciende a 78.427.100.000 de pesos (US$4.171.811.943), convirtiendo a la Ciudad de México, Estado de México y Nuevo León, en las entidades con mayor percepción, en tanto, el sector transportes aporta el 4.3% del total de los recursos.

Mientras que Canadá reporta una inversión de 15.460.700.000 de pesos (US$822.408.745), favoreciendo mayormente a los estados de Zacatecas, Chihuahua y Sinaloa. El sector de transportes aporta el 35.8% del dinero que arriba a México.

Con un marco institucional actualizado y un mecanismo de arbitraje moderno, México refuerza la imagen del país, como un destino atractivo y seguro para invertir. El USMCA podría ser ratificado en la segunda parte de 2019 y entrar en vigor a inicios del 2020, según el presidente de Fomento Industrial de la Canacintra de México, Juan Manuel Chaparro.

 

Construcción Pan-Americana / Info.Transportes / 15 Octubre

 

Pese a T-MEC, México debe diversificar mercados: Comce

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El Economista/ Patricia Romo / 23 Octubre

 

El país debe aprovechar también otros acuerdos comerciales, como el TPP 11: Diez Morodo.

Guadalajara, Jal. Pese a haber alcanzado un nuevo acuerdo comercial con Estados Unidos y Canadá (T-MEC), México debe apostar por la diversificación de mercados y aprovechar otros tratados trasnacionales para “no permanecer rezagados en momentos de crecimiento económico”, afirmó el presidente del Consejo Mexicano de Comercio Exterior (Comce), Valentín Diez Morodo.

“No hay que concentrarse en un solo mercado, hay que diversificarse; no puedes estar a expensas, por muy poderoso que sea, como en el caso nuestro con Nafta, no puedes estar en exclusiva”, destacó el también presidente del capítulo México de la Alianza del Pacífico, durante su participación en la XVI México Cumbre de Negocios.

Diez Morodo destacó que, sólo en la Alianza del Pacífico, Colombia, Chile, México y Perú ya consiguieron eliminar todas las barreras arancelarias, mientras que hay 55 países asociados que intentan formar parte del organismo.

“No se trata de afectar a nadie sino que queremos repartir el pastel mejor entre más gente”, sostuvo Diez Morodo al insistir en la necesidad de que México aproveche mejor otros acuerdos comerciales como el TPP 11 y el tratado de libre comercio con la Unión Europea.

Durante el pánel México en el escenario global, Ian Goldin, profesor de la Universidad de Oxford, afirmó que, pese a las políticas proteccionistas de algunos países, no existe en la actualidad un proceso de “desglobalización”; por el contrario, indicó, nunca ha habido un mejor momento para la globalización.

“Esto no se debe a Estados Unidos ni al Reino Unido sino al resto del mundo y, en particular, a Asia que ahora representa 70% del crecimiento global”, sostuvo Goldin, quien advirtió que “los mayores riesgos que cualquiera enfrenta vienen de la reducción de la operación global”.

El experto enfatizó que el crecimiento económico en la actualidad está en Asia y en los mercados emergentes, incluido México. “Es donde debe estar el enfoque; es donde está el crecimiento del mercado, son los estabilizadores de la economía global, porque los mercados emergentes están creciendo al doble de las economías avanzadas. México está ahí, aunque su primera novia sea Estados Unidos, pero debe haber una diversificación y una reorientación”.

En tanto, John Rennie Short, profesor de Geografía y Política Pública de la Universidad de Maryland, Estados Unidos, coincidió en la apuesta de la diversificación de mercados ya que, dijo, Europa se convertirá en un mercado que duplicará el tamaño de Estados Unidos “y lo mismo aplica para América Latina y otros mercados emergentes”.

 

El Economista/ Patricia Romo / 23 Octubre

 

El T-MEC regula normas de eficiencia energética

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Opportimes / Redacción Opportimes / 29 Octubre

 

El Tratado entre México, Estados Unidos y Canadá (T-MEC) incluye un Anexo sectorial de normas de eficiencia energética.

Por lo tanto, el anexo aplica a la elaboración, adopción y aplicación de reglamentos técnicos que estén relacionados a normas y reglamentos técnicos y procedimientos de evaluación de la conformidad sobre eficiencia energética.

El T-MEC promueve la cooperación regulatoria en materia de Normas de Eficiencia Energética a fin de facilitar el comercio entre los tres países.

Además, impulsa la cooperación entre las partes mediante el uso de foros bilaterales y trilaterales y busca armonizar, en la medida de lo posible, los procedimientos de prueba establecidos por los productos sujetos al cumplimiento de normas de Eficiencia Energética.

Energía en el T-MEC

Por otra parte, las disciplinas en el Capítulo de Energía, responden a las nuevas condiciones y realidad del sector de energía en la región y de México, y garantiza la soberanía de México sobre los recursos energéticos.

También el Capítulo promueve la cooperación en aras a fomentar la integración de un mercado energético regional, la entrada de nuevos participantes y flujos de inversión en el sector.

El T-MEC reafirma el valor supremo de la Constitución de México y de las leyes que de ella emanan en materia de hidrocarburos, incluyendo que el Estado Mexicano tiene la propiedad directa, imprescriptible e inalienable sobre los hidrocarburos en el subsuelo.

A la vez, México extenderá a los socios del T-MEC el trato comprometido en los otros tratados comerciales que ha suscrito.

En general, el T-MEC, compuesto por 34 capítulos y 12 cartas paralelas, conserva la mayoría de los capítulos del Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte (TLCAN), realizando cambios notables en las disposiciones de acceso al mercado para autos y productos agrícolas, y en normas como la inversión, la contratación pública y los derechos de propiedad intelectual.

Adicionalmente, aborda nuevos aspectos, como el comercio digital, las empresas estatales y la manipulación cambiaria.

 

Opportimes / Redacción Opportimes / 29 Octubre

 

 

Mexico, Canada play hardball on trade deal over steel tariffs

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Washington Examiner / Sean Higgins / October 26

 

Juan Carlos Baker, Mexico’s deputy commerce minister, said Friday that his government may not sign the final text of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade if the U.S. does not agree to provide exemptions to its tariffs on steel and aluminum.

The Trump administration is balking at that demand, however, as its counter-proposal, a quota system, is getting the cold shoulder from both Mexico and Canada, which is also seeking an exemption from the tariffs.

“We believe we need to solve that issue before the signing takes place,” Baker told reporters in Ottawa. The signing has been tentatively set for the end of November.

It was the toughest threat yet from one of the negotiators over the deal that would replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. Mexico and Canada have lobbied the U.S. to lift exemptions to the tariffs, 25 percent for steel and 10 percent for aluminum, arguing that now that the talks for the USMCA deal are complete, there’s no need to maintain those tariffs.

The U.S. however has resisted providing the exemptions, fearing that doing so would allow China, the main target of the tariffs, to harm the U.S. steel industry.

«The president is reviewing the steel and aluminum tariffs,” said Kelly Craft, U.S. ambassador to Canada, Friday at a forum hosted by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. «That is not something that is against Canada … It’s just protecting North America from other countries that will be passing raw materials through, and also to protect our steel industry at home.»

The White House initially carved out exceptions for Canada and Mexico to its steel and aluminum tariffs , then revoked them in June as a way to pressure both countries during the talks to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The U.S. has proposed replacing the tariffs with a quota system, similar to what it did for South Korea regarding steel, when in August it allowed a quota of 70 percent of average steel exports to the United States in the years 2015 to 2017. Neither Canada nor Mexico are expressing interest on that, according to an administration official who requested anonymity to discuss ongoing talks. As a consequence, there isn’t much talk going on between the countries to resolve the tariff issue, the official said.

A Canadian government official, speaking anonymously, told the CBC earlier this week, that a quota proposal was a concession that Canada would make. Officials see no reason why they cannot return to status quo on metal imports from before the NAFTA talks. “There is no need for those tariffs to be in place,» Canadian Ambassador David MacNaughton said Friday in Ottawa.

Backers of the administration’s policies say a quota is still the best compromise for all sides. «From a U.S. industry perspective, tariffs are similarly effective to quotas if done right,» said Michael Stumo, chief executive officer of the business-labor Coalition for a Prosperous America. «From Canada’s perspective, they should want quotas rather than tariffs because with a quota, their industry gets the money, but with a tariff, the U.S. government gets the money.»

Critics charge that the systems lead to cronyism. «They empower foreign governments to pick winners and losers by deciding which steel or aluminum companies are allocated part of each country’s quota to export to the United States,» said Bryan Riley, trade policy analyst for the National Taxpayers Union. «That’s one reason quotas may be harder to get rid of than tariffs — they can create a political constituency in foreign countries in support of the quotas.»

Hugo Perezcano Diaz, deputy director of the international law research program at Canada’s Centre for International Governance Innovation and a former NAFTA negotiator, speculates that the quota talk may be leading to an alternate solution, a closed three-country market. «Canada has already adopted a safeguard against imports of steel products from the rest of the world, including Mexico,» he said. «If Mexico were to do something similar and the three countries close the North American market, the U.S. may feel sufficiently protected to eliminate the tariffs.»

 

Washington Examiner / Sean Higgins / October 26

 

 

Unfinished business: Putting the final touches on the USMCA

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The Hill /  David L. Goldwyn / October 29

 

The proposed US Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) makes important, but incomplete, progress in securing an integrated North American energy market.

In terms of progress, the agreement preserves zero tariffs for trade in oil, gas and petroleum products across North America. It effectively locks in Mexico’s historic energy reforms by ensuring that Mexico cannot reinstate restrictions on US investment in the oil and gas sector. A “ratchet” clause ensures that if Mexico decides to further liberalize the sector, then that higher floor becomes the new USMCA commitment.

While Investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms are weaker, they remain in force for certain “covered sectors,” including oil and gas investments in Mexico and power generation and pipeline investments where the investor has a contract with the government.

These are all positive steps for North American energy security. Mexico and Canada provide the United States with the heavy grades of oil not produced domestically, helping US refineries produce gasoline at the lowest possible cost. Thanks to this relationship,  the United States is an efficient net exporter of petroleum products.

However, while this progress is laudable, it remains incomplete.

In the rush to conclude the agreement, effective protection for power generation investments like new wind and solar plants, refining and natural gas infrastructure, and power transmission lines were left out, perhaps inadvertently. Contracts for these investments are with state owned enterprises (SOEs) like Mexico’s CFE and PEMEX, which do not now fall within the definition of “federal government” because they are not disposing of assets but signing a contract for service. These essential investments, in the gas and refined product infrastructure which carry US products to and through Mexico, transmission lines which carry US electricity south, and investments in power generation are not permitted to bring ISDS claims to enforce their rights.

This is an oversight, and a protection these investments should enjoy. Rather, the proposed agreement creates an uneven playing field as investors who do have a contract with the Federal government, say for exploration, are entitled to bring an ISDS claim for any of their businesses, while those who do not have such contract do not. The problem can be easily fixed by expanding the definition of federal government to include these wholly owned SOEs.

These (for now) unprotected investments are critical to North American energy security. They secure US exports of electricity and natural gas and assure the continued reliability of the North American electricity system. They are the lifelines which carry US exports to Mexico – currently our number one customer for natural gas and petroleum products.

Protecting investments in Mexico’s electricity sector improves US national security by supporting Mexico’s prosperity through a more resilient power system.

Finally, if US power sector investments in Mexico are not protected and thus potentially hindered or lost, China is certain to fill the gap.

Chinese investment in all forms of power generation, transmission, and distribution is rapidly accelerating throughout Latin America. According to a recent Atlantic Council report, cumulative flows of Chinese foreign direct investment in Latin America have reached $110 billion, with $25 billion in oil and gas investment, and $13 billion in electricity, utilities and alternative energy. China’s State Grid has invested $7 billion in Brazil, through a combination of greenfield investments and acquisitions.

If the Mexican government is willing to offer these investments protections (and they are), and create a level playing field for American companies investing in our closest neighbor, the US should not object.

Fortunately, there is still time to correct the definition of eligible claimants as both sides ready the agreement for ratification.  With these modest steps, the United States, Mexico and Canada can improve the resilience of North America’s energy system, and the US can simultaneously advance its economic and national security interests.

David L. Goldwyn is president of Goldwyn Global Strategies, an international energy advisory consultancy and serves as chairman of the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center Energy Advisory Group. He served as the U.S. State Department’s special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs from 2009 to 2011; he previously served as assistant secretary of energy for international affairs and as national security deputy to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson. He is a member of the U.S. National Petroleum Council and the Council on Foreign Relations.

 

The Hill /  David L. Goldwyn / October 29

 

How President Trump’s Trade Deals Could Lift the US Economy

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Market Realist / Mark O’Hara / October 8

Trade deals

President Donald Trump has long lashed out against existing trade deals, calling them unfair to the United States. The Trump administration has been working to renegotiate several trade deals, and the focus has been on reducing the country’s massive trade deficit by moving its manufacturing onshore.

UMSCA

The Trump administration has used tariffs as well as tariff threats to obtain trade concessions. Less than halfway into his presidential term, Trump has renegotiated NAFTA and KORUS FTA (the United States–Korea Free Trade Agreement).

Under the new NAFTA—renamed USMCA (the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement)—the United States is expected to gain access to Canada’s historically protected dairy industry. It also calls for more regional content in automotive manufacturing.

Under the new KORUS terms, South Korea relaxed the norms for automotive imports from the United States. It also agreed to a quota to obtain long-term exemptions from the Section 232 steel tariffs in the United States (QQQ).

Section 232 tariffs

Trump’s trade rhetoric has received support as well as opposition. Retail and tech giants such as Walmart (WMT), Alphabet (GOOG), Apple (AAPL), and Amazon (AMZN) are lobbying against these tariffs. However, the new trade deals have allowed the Trump administration to obtain incremental benefits that are expected to support US jobs. We’ve seen plant restarts in the US steel and aluminum industry after the Section 232 tariffs were implemented.

 

Market Realist / Mark O’Hara / October 8

 

Canada trade minister pushes quick ratification of trade deal with Asia Pacific

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The Business Times / AFP / September 18

 

[OTTAWA] Canada’s trade minister on Monday signalled that the government will push ratification of the Trans Pacific Partnership quickly through parliament, as stalled North American free trade talks have raised concerns it could lose its privileged access to the US market.

«Rapid ratification of the TPP» will mean «farmers, ranchers, entrepreneurs and workers across the country can finally tap into new markets,» trade minister Jim Carr said in a speech to parliament.

Signed in March without the United States, the Trans-Pacific Partnership will come into effect 60 days after ratification by at least six of the 11 signatories – Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

The trading bloc represents 500 million consumers and 13 percent of the world’s economic output.

Ottawa wants to be among the first six TPP signatories, but is facing pushback from the powerful union representing Canadian auto workers. Unifor wants stricter labour standards written into the pact and for negotiations with the United States and Mexico to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement completed first.

High-level talks ended last week with no deal, and no date has been set yet for Canada’s foreign minister Chrystia Freeland to return to Washington to continue negotiations.

For Canada, implementing the TPP is «of paramount importance,» said Mr Carr, if only to act as a counterbalance to growing US protectionism under US President Donald Trump, who has threatened to cut Canada out of a new continental trade deal if Ottawa didn’t give in to his demands.

«This is not just a new trade agreement for Canada, it is also a message we send to the rest of the world: trade is important, the rules are important and we will not give in to protectionism,» the minister said.

 

The Business Times / AFP / September 18

 

AGRICULTURE, ECONOMY, GDP, INTERNATIONAL TRADE, TRADE WARS Last week in economy: Indian rupee slides while US dollar stabilizes after Trump secures Mexico trade deal

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Qrius / Pavas Gupta / September 3

 

Last week heralded further woes for the Indian economy as the rupee touched its lowest-ever-level of 71 against the dollar. At the same time, GDP forecasts stood at an all-time-high of 8.2% in 2018-19’s Q1. On the other side of the world, the US and China agreed to overhaul the NAFTA deal, bringing relief to the dollar. Read on to know more about what’s been up in the economy, outside and at home:

Indian Rupee slides to record-low at 71 against the greenback

On Friday, the rupee hit an all-time-low at 71 against the US dollar. The primary reason identified behind the drastic drop is persistent demand for the dollar amid rising crude oil prices. This is further reinforced by weak exchange rates of almost all Asian peers of the rupee. Per Forex dealers, the dollar’s strength against its rival currencies on expectations of rising interest rates amid lingering Sino-US trade tensions also weighed on the Indian fiat. To add to all these factors is the growing fear about rising inflation and consistent outflow of foreign funds from the domestic equity market.

“[The] Indian rupee has depreciated around 11 per cent year to date. Higher crude oil prices, demand from defence and oil marketing firms have contributed to the latest bout of weakness. Rupee was overvalued on trade weighted real effective exchange rate. Robust FDI flows in e-commerce companies, healthy forex reserves may limit the downside of the rupee”, said VK Sharma, Head Private Client Group & Capital Market Strategy, HDFC Securities.

US dollar steady post US-Mexico agreement to overhaul trade deal

After the United States and Mexico agreed to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), volatility in the dollar cooled down; the currency is now steady against the euro and a basket of other major currencies. The overhauling of the deal brought optimism amidst global trade tensions.

The agreement to overhaul NAFTA exerted pressure on Canada to consent to new terms with the aim of preserving a three-nation pact.

“[The deal] would be positive for the Canadian dollar, Mexican peso, these currencies that have been sold on the back of higher trade tensions,”, said Shusuke Yamada, currency and equity strategist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Tokyo. “Overall, that would be negative for the Japanese yen and the US dollar. That’s positive for the risk assets in general,” he added.

On Tuesday, following two sessions of losses, the dollar index, which gauges the fiat’s performance against six other currencies, fell nearly flat. Later, it edged 0.05% higher to 94.834, making up for the earlier losses.

Ever since it hit a high on August 15, the dollar has fallen more than 2%. This comes amidst US President Trump’s criticism of the Federal Reserve for raising interest rates while the US government attempted to boost the economy.

India poised to become world’s fifth-largest economy in 2019

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, on Thursday, said that India is expected to outstrip Britain to don the title of the world’s fifth-largest economy in 2019.

“This year, in terms of size, we have overtaken France. Next year we are likely to overtake Britain. Therefore, we will be the fifth largest [economy],” he asserted. Further, he said that the other economies of the world were growing at a much slower rate, adding that India had the potential to rank among the top three economies of the world within a span of 10-20 years.

India’s GDP growth at 8.2% in Q1 of 2018-19

In the first quarter of the 2018-19 fiscal year, ending June 30, India’s economy performed at an impressive rate of 8.2%. This marks India’s highest growth rate since the first quarter of 2016. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth was backed by a strong core performance and a healthy base.

These growth figures will be factored in by the monetary policy committee at its next review, which is scheduled for October 3-5.

The sectors of the economy that registered a growth of over 7% include ‘manufacturing, electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services’, ‘construction’, and ‘public administration, defence and other services’.

Foodgrain output to reach new heights in 2017-18

Foodgrain production in India is expected to grown to an all-time-high of 284.83 million tonnes in the 2017-18 crop year, which ended in June. According to the Agriculture Ministry, this burst in output is fuelled by record production of wheat, rice, coarse cereals and pulses after a normal monsoon cycle.

The previous record was pegged at 275.11 million tonnes, in the 2016-17 crop year.

In the Ministry’s fourth advance estimate released on Tuesday, it revised, in the upward direction, the total foodgrain production by 5.3 million tonnes from the earlier projection of 279.51 million tonnes for the current crop year.

“As a result of near normal rainfall during monsoon 2017 and various policy initiatives taken by the government, the country has witnessed record foodgrain production in 2017-18,” the ministry said in a statement.

 

Qrius / Pavas Gupta / September 3

 

Oil industry encouraged by Trump’s trade deal with Mexico

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Washington Examiner/ John Siciliano / August 27

 

President Trump’s announcement with Mexico on Monday is being taken as an encouraging sign by the U.S. oil and natural gas industry.

“We are encouraged that negotiators have reached a preliminary agreement to modernize our trade relationships,” said Mike Sommers, the new president and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry’s top lobbyist in Washington.

“America’s natural gas and oil industry depends on trade to continue to grow U.S. jobs and our economy, and deliver for consumers,” he added.

Trump announced Monday morning that progress had been made toward a deal with Mexico on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. Negotiations with Canada, the final piece in the agreement, are still ongoing.

Trump called it a «big day for trade» and the nation in an Oval Office announcement in which he teleconferenced with outgoing Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Energy has been a key aspect of the negotiations on a revamped version of NAFTA. However, no announcement on energy trade was made on Monday. The agreement with Mexico centered on ensuring that a higher percentage of automobiles sold in North America are made with parts produced on the continent.

Negotiations on an update to the free trade agreement had stalled in recent months amid disagreements over, among other things, provisions related to the automotive and energy industries. U.S. and Mexican negotiators, however, had made breakthroughs on those issues ahead of Monday’s announcement.

Jesus Seade, the incoming Mexican government’s chief NAFTA negotiator, said Sunday the energy issues have been “ironed out,” without going into detail, Reuters reported.

Mexico has become a large importer of U.S. natural gas and oil in recent years. Energy Secretary Rick Perry had visited Mexico ahead of Monday’s announcement. He was there to discuss «how the U.S. and Mexico can continue to work together to make North America a world-wide leader in energy production and exports,» Perry said last week in a tweet.

 

Washington Examiner/ John Siciliano / August 27