Trudeau won't travel to Washington to mark start of renegotiated NAFTA deal

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will not join his North American counterparts in Washington, D.C., this week to celebrate the coming into force of the three countries' renegotiated trade pact.

"While there were recent discussions about the possible participation of Canada, the prime minister will be in Ottawa this week for scheduled cabinet meetings and the long-planned sitting of Parliament," Chantal Gagnon, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, said in a statement.

 Read more at:
Trudeau won't travel to Washington to mark start of renegotiated NAFTA deal | CBC News

Mexico-US Relations: Trump hits Mexico with 5% tariff in response to illegal immigration - by Jill Colvin and olleenLong

In a surprise announcement that could compromise a major trade deal, President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is slapping a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports to pressure the country to do more to crack down on the surge of Central American migrants trying to cross the U.S. border.

He said the percentage will gradually increase "until the Illegal Immigration problem is remedied."

Trump's tariff threat comes at a time when Mexican authorities have been carrying out migrant raids and detaining thousands more who are traveling through the country on the way to the U.S.

Read more at: Trump hits Mexico with 5% tariff in response to illegal immigration - Japan Today

USA - Canada - Mexico: US drops steel and aluminium tariffs on former NAFTA partners

US drops steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico

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https://p.dw.com/p/3IgES

NAFTA 2: Canada, Mexico, USA sign new deal

Battle' over as Trudeau, Trump, Pena Nieto sign 'new NAFTA'

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 https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/usmca-nieto-trudeau-trump-signing-1.4926961

Canada - Mexico - USA: Trump hails ‘historic’ trade deal with Canada and Mexico - by David Lynch

President Trump on Monday hailed the major revisions he was able to extract from Canada and Mexico to the 25-year-old North American trade agreement, as business executives, labor leaders, and lawmakers began poring over details.

“Throughout the campaign I promised to renegotiate NAFTA and today we have kept that promise,” Trump said at a Rose Garden news conference.

Calling the deal “truly historic,” Trump pledged: “It will transform North America back into a manufacturing powerhouse.”

The White House, as well as leaders from Canada and Mexico, announced they had inked the deal late Sunday after Canada’s 11th hour agreement. But congressional approval is uncertain, particularly if Democrats retake control of the House in the November midterm elections.

Note EU-Digest: the BS continues, as not much is changed re: old NAFTA deal.

Read more: Trump hails ‘historic’ trade deal with Canada and Mexico

The Global Order: Trump aims for the total destruction of the established order, including all alliance partnerships the US ever entered into - by Stephan Richter

Trump: The Most Disruptive Global Start-Up Ever By Stephan Richter Trump aims for the total destruction of the established order, including all alliance partnerships the United States ever entered into. Trump aims for the total destruction of the established order, including all alliance partnerships the United States ever entered into. The post Trump: The Most Disruptive Global Start-Up Ever appeared first on The Globalist

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For the complete report click here;

https://www.theglobalist.com/donald-trump-global-order-china-startup-disruption/#noredirect

US tariffs: the trade war has begun: US versus China, EU, Mexico and Canada

US on brink of trade war with EU, Canada and Mexico as tit-for-tat tariffs begin https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/may/31/us-fires-opening-salvo-in-trade-war-with-eu-canada-and-mexico?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Blogger

EU Trade agreement with Mexico: EU and Mexico fail to conclude political agreement on trade deal – by Iana Dreyer

European trade officials had been more optimistic about the prospects for a deal with Mexico than with the South American bloc Mercosur, talks towards which ended in a limbo in early December.

But European Commission hopes to announce a ‘political agreement’ with Mexico by year-end were nonetheless dashed.

The issues that required ironing out over the last days included market access in agriculture, agreement over a few geographical indications on cheeses (such as Manchego) and the EU’s investment court system.

EU trade chief Cecilia Malmström said today: “We are confident we can solve all the remaining political issues. But we need a little bit more time.”

Read more: EU and Mexico fail to conclude political agreement on trade deal – EURACTIV.com

NAFTA: Trump’s zero-sum game has likely doomed NAFTA - by Lawrence Herman

Round 4 of the NAFTA negotiations ended in exceptional bitterness on Tuesday, with the United States presenting a series of deeply disturbing and unacceptable proposals. While the negotiating deadline was extended into early 2018, the talks are heading downhill and will likely hit the wall before then.

ti's interesting that commentators are now talking about the need for a Plan B (or C or D) for Canada, when it should have been clear that these talks were on a perilous slope from the outset.

While policy wonks were once full of naive optimism about modernizing the North American free-trade agreement, a cold shower of realism would have doused that rosy glow. The problem is these negotiations were never born of common objectives among like-minded governments. We're in these talks because of a diktat from one source – U.S. President Donald Trump.

After repeatedly condemning NAFTA as a "disaster" and the "worst trade agreement ever," Mr. Trump wasn't going to go gentle into that good night. He was obviously going to follow through with aggressively one-sided demands to Canada and Mexico – and that's what they are – or else.

U.S. presidents set the tone for their administrations in inaugural addresses to the country and the world at large. Remember Franklin Roosevelt and "We've nothing to fear but fear itself," or John F. Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do for you …"

In the case of Mr. Trump, it was a bombastic and inward-looking declaration that it would be "America first and only America first" during his term of office.

The U.S. approach to these negotiations is unprecedented, the opposite of countries sitting at the table to reach a balanced and mutually agreeable outcome. Mr. Trump will have none of that; to the contrary, it's all about a zero-sum, take-no-hostages game used by him in putting together real estate deals.

Faced with this reality, comments about the need for alternative plans for Canada are part of a deeper concern over an uncertain trade and political relationship with the United States.

Read more: Trump’s zero-sum game has likely doomed NAFTA - The Globe and Mail

NAFTA negotiators encounter early sticking points on visas, supply management and other issues

Negotiators have run into a series of early sticking points on nearly every major element considered key to achieving a new NAFTA agreement, The Canadian Press has learned.

A recurring pattern involves one country raising a prized priority only to have other parties systematically refuse to engage the conversation, said one source with knowledge of how the talks are unfolding in Mexico City.

"The tone is negative," said the source, who made sure to add that it's still early, he remains hopeful a deal can be reached this year, and that obstinacy is to be expected in initial bargaining.

He cited two examples.

One is the Canadians asking for greater access to professional visas. It's a priority not just for the Canadians, but also for businesses that struggle to send staff across the border. NAFTA's visa list is outdated and doesn't include modern digital jobs. The Americans have pushed off that conversation, which risks bumping into that country's sensitive immigration politics.

Canada has returned the favour. The second example cited by the source involves Canada's supply-management system. The U.S. has started to raise it as an issue. While the U.S. has not yet tabled a formal request, with numbers, it has declared its interest in loosening Canada's import controls on dairy and poultry.

Read more: NAFTA negotiators encounter early sticking points on visas, supply management and other issues - Business - CBC News

German-Mexican Relations: Leaders of Mexico and Germany to meet in 'solidarity' against Trump - by Kate Linthicum

In what her government has called “a sign of solidarity,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on Friday.High on the agenda during her two-day state visit to Mexico will be their mutual political dilemma: President Trump.

From the launch of his presidential campaign two years ago through his early days in the White House, Trump made Mexico his punching bag. He called Mexican immigrants criminals, pledged to tax imports from Mexico and insisted that Mexico would pay for construction of a border wall.

But in recent months, he has extended his ire to a much wider circle of nations, many of which, like Mexico, are longtime U.S. allies.

Read more: Leaders of Mexico and Germany to meet in 'solidarity' against Trump - LA Times

Tourism: U.S. To Lose $1.6B As Mexican Vacationers Choose Canada- by Alexandra Talty

The American tourism industry could be facing a new phenomena: waning interest in the traveling to the United States.

After decades of sitting pretty as a bucket list destination, the stars and stripes might be on their way out. Experts warn that anti-immigration rhetoric as well as confusing travel and electronic bans have dampened foreign interest in U.S. vacations, especially from Mexico.

"We have Twitter wars with our President and former President of Mexico… There is lots of speculation in the media about a trade war with Mexico," says Douglas Quimby, of Phocuswright, a travel research firm. "If that happens, what kind of impact does that have on millions of middle class Mexicans looking to take a trip?"

Mexican sentiment for the U.S. has been lagging since the primary elections when then-incumbent Donald Trump claimed that Mexican immigrants were rapists and drug dealers. There were reports of Trump piñatas, angry newspaper op-eds and anti-Trump murals. During the presidential debate, Mexicans held drinking games, knocking one back every time their country was mentioned.

At the same time, Canada has made it easier than ever to visit. In June 2016, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced visa-free travel for Mexicans. Since the policy was first announced, Mexican tourism to Canada has been skyrocketing, increasing 16%, according to ForwardKeys, a travel trend predicting firm.

Read more: U.S. To Lose $1.6B As Mexican Vacationers Choose Canada

US Presidential Elections: Five reasons Donald Trump could actually become president

There are just 100 days left until the US election 2016. After months of campaigning we now know that either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will succeed Barack Obama in the White House.

But could the unthinkable happen? Could a man who's promised to build a wall along the Mexican border, who has disparaged an entire religion and who uses childish insults against his political insults really win the election?

Could a man who tweets Thomas the Tank Engine memes really become president of the most powerful country on Earth?

Here are a few reasons why he might:
1. It's the economy, stupid

The phrase coined by Bill Clinton's 1992 election strategist is now equally important for his wife. As Politico reports, Hillary will be hoping for a strong economy in the months leading up to the election to convince floating voters that "Donald Trump’s version of a crippled America in rapid decline doesn’t really exist".

Sadly for her, a report this week showed that the economy had grown by a modest 1.2 per cent in the second quarter of the year - falling well short of the 2.6 per cent estimated on Wall Street.

It won't be so easy to make a case for continued Democrat control of the White House when the economy looks like this:

Read about all the reasons why: Five reasons Donald Trump could actually become president

Freedom of Expression: Media Terror: Press Freedom in Turkey, Mexico and Russia

Turkey is ranked 151st out of 180 on press freedom as of 2016, according to the Reporters Without Borders’ annual Press Freedom Index.
2. That makes it the third-worst performer among the G-20 nations, after China and Saudi Arabia (165th).
3. As recently as 2006, Turkey ranked in the top 100 nations in terms of press freedom.
4. Turkey’s ranking has fallen in recent years because of increasing political pressure on journalists and the return of war at home and abroad.
5. The government also vigorously prosecutes alleged “insults” against top officials and seizes control of newspapers that it accuses of “terrorist” support.
6. Mexico ranks the next-worst (149th) in the G-20 after Turkey – and is the most dangerous country in the Western hemisphere for journalists.
7. Mexican drug gangs have used brutal tactics to intimidate the journalists reporting on their activities. Scores of journalists have been openly murdered.
8. Mexico in 2016 ranks next to Russia (148th), which makes the latter the fifth-worst performer among the G-20 nations.
9. Since Vladimir Putin’s return to the presidency in 2012, the repression and consolidation of the media in Russia have been stepped up.
10. Russia also stands out because of its systematic failure to punish, or even pursue, those who have attacked or murdered journalists.

Read more: Media Terror: Press Freedom in Turkey, Mexico and Russia - The Globalist

Mexico: "is making business happen with more than triple the free trade agreements than the US

Randy Avon - Asian Pacific Dev. Corp

The Hon. Randy Avon, CEO of the Asian Pacific Development Corp. noted that the recent arrival of South Korea's President in Mexico, was once again a reminder for businesses around the globe to look closely at the numerous business opportunities that exist in Mexico.

On her arrival in Mexico on April 3, Mrs. Park Geun-Hye vowed to expand the  strategic partnerships between South Korea and Mexico across more diverse fields, including the growing popularity of the Korean cultural wave.
 
Mexico is South Korea’s largest trading partner in Latin America, with their trading volume reaching $14.12 billion in 2014. Government data shows that some 1,600 South Korean companies, including leading conglomerates such as Samsung, LG and POSCO, operate in Mexico.

Mexico has almost TRIPLE the Free Trade Agreements with other countries arod the world than the USA has.

President Park is expected to ask the Mexican government to allow South Korean companies to advance into the energy, transportation and public infrastructure sectors. The leaders will also discuss increasing bilateral cooperation in developing IT and science technologies.

During the meeting with Korean residents, Mrs.  Park wore a “hanbok,” or traditional Korean dress, in red, green and white, the colors of the Mexican flag. 

About 12,000 Koreans currently reside in Mexico.

According to the Korea Foundation, the number of Korean pop fan clubs in Mexico reached 80 last year.

Over 19,000 Mexicans attended a concert performed by South Korean band Big Bang, held at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico in Mexico City last October.

President Park also visited the National Museum of Anthropology and the Korea-Mexico cultural exchange festival.

Many multi-National corporations are looking at Mexico to launch their Latin American operations including those from the EU.  

The EU which is presently in a drive to deepen trade ties with Latin America and the Europeans are not only eager to do business with Cuba, but are also relaunching negotiations with Mercosur and  key talks will  soon to be launched with Mexico and Chile. 

EU-Digest