Industry Week The Canadian Press reported that Mr Juan Carlos
Baker, Mexico’s deputy commerce minister, said that Mexico won’t sign the new
North American Free Trade Agreement unless the US removes steel and aluminum
tariffs on its two continental neighbours. He said “Lawyers and translators are
finalizing the text of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and the hope
is all three countries can sign the document on Nov 29 or Nov 30.”
He said “But Mexico won’t ink the agreement unless the US removes its 25 per
cent tariff on steel and 10 per cent levy on aluminum. We believe we need to
solve that issue before the signing takes place. It won’t solve the issue. We
need to get these tariffs lifted. That’s objective No. 1. How do we get to that
point?”
David MacNaughton, Canada’s ambassador to the US, told the same Ontario Chamber
of Commerce event that he hopes the US tariffs will be lifted shortly, now that
the new trade agreement is settled.
The trilateral trade agreement was struck before a deadline imposed by the US
Congress. The aim was to get the deal fast-tracked and voted on by Dec 1,
before Mexican president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s incoming
government takes power.
Source : THE CANADIAN PRESS
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