Factors signaling that North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiation should be concluded sooner rather than later include the expiration of trade promotion authority (TPA) in mid-2018, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told the Economic Club of Washington this week.TPA allows the president to submit implementing legislation for a trade deal to Congress for a straight-up or down vote. The mechanism prevents potentially deal-busting amendments. The current congressional grant of TPA applies to agreements reached before July 1, 2018, with a possible extension to July 1, 2021. Implementing bills may get no amendment consideration if negotiated during the time period for which TPA is in effect.“You never know. And it's probably a big mistake to set a particular date,” Ross said when asked how long the NAFTA talks with Mexico and Canada would last. “But the political calendar both here and there suggest it should get done pretty quickly,” he said.Ross also cited the U.S. midterm elections, July 2018 presidential elections in Mexico and provincial elections in Canada as “political calendar” reasons bolstering the proposition that “quicker is more likely to be conclusive than waiting.” NAFTA talks are scheduled to start Aug. 16.TPP and NAFTA 2.0. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) would not have garnered enough political votes for passage by the time of the 2016 election, Ross said. Trump pulled the U.S. out of the 12-nation pact shortly after his inauguration. But Ross said there were “some very good features” to the TPP, which also included NAFTA partners Canada and Mexico. “Some of those are features we'll be trying to build upon in subsequent trade negotiations,” he said, without providing further specifics. TPP member Japan has not said it is yet ready to negotiate a bilateral trade pact with the U.S., Ross said.Clovis Officially Nominated For Key USDA Post
President Donald Trump officially nominated Sam Clovis for USDA undersecretary for research, education and economics on Tuesday. His nomination has been controversial although many farm and commodity groups recently noted their support.Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said a nominee who regarded crop insurance as unconstitutional "might as well not show up" to his committee hearing. In a 2013 interview with an Iowa talk radio host, Clovis listed crop insurance subsidies as spending that he said was unconstitutional.Roberts later said "it's too early" to say whether Clovis' expected nomination should be withdrawn. Clovis should have the opportunity to talk with the Agriculture Committee leaders and explain "why in the hell he said that," Roberts said.
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