Growing possibility that US will seek bilateral trade deals, says Jeff Rubin
According to Jeff Rubin, a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Lighthizer's comments might be a nod to a new US trade strategy on the horizon.
"Lighthizer pointed to difficulties in resolving a lopsided and unbalanced trade agreement," says Rubin. "While a new round of negotiations are scheduled, there is a growing possibility that the US will walk away from the agreement and seek separate bilateral trade deals with Canada and Mexico."
A new timeline was also announced. NAFTA talks, which were originally intended to end by December, will extend into the first quarter of 2018.
"Extending talks on a negotiation with no obvious 'landing zone' due to poison pill brinksmanship is irresponsible; it imposes costs on businesses making decisions in real time," says Dan Ciuriak, another Senior Fellow at CIGI.
For more information:
www.cigionline.org