Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 28 sepTember 2017
Issues remain as 3rd round of NAFTA talks wraps in Ottawa

By TRACEY LINDEMAN slapped duties of nearly 220
ROB GILLIES percent on Canada’s Bom-
Associated Press bardier C Series aircraft. It
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — ruled Montreal-based Bom-
The most contentious issues bardier used unfair govern-
in talks to renegotiate the ment subsidies to sell jets
North American Free Trade at artificially low prices in
Agreement have not been the U.S. Freeland said she
introduced by the United brought up the issue with
States, the Canadian for- Lighthizer and she would
eign minister said Wednes- talk to U.S. Commerce Sec-
day as the third round of retary Wilbur Ross about it.
talks between Canada, Mexico’s low wages have
the U.S. and Mexico con- also become an increasing
cluded. point of debate. Mexico
U.S. Trade Representative has drawn plants and in-
Robert Lighthizer said some vestments by capitalizing
issues related to small- and on low wages and weak
medium-size enterprises union rules, and Mexican
were resolved, but an enor- business and labor lead-
mous amount of work still ers appear to be resistant
needs to be done on other, to any attempt to tighten
difficult matters. Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland meets for a trilateral meeting with Mexico’s Secretary labor standards or ensure
of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal, left, and Ambassador Robert E. Lighthizer, United States
He said delegates made Trade Representative, during the final day of the third round of NAFTA negotiations at Global Af- that Mexican wages rise.
significant progress on fairs Canada in Ottawa on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017. Mexican and Canadian
competition policy, digital (Sean Kilpatrick/ Canadian Press via AP) auto unions have said in a
trade, state-owned enter- lenges” lie ahead. land answered: “I do not who called it one of the report that Mexican auto-
prises and telecommunica- U.S. President Donald Trump have the super power that great achievements of the workers earn about $3.95
tions. Details on the treaty has called the 1992 trade allows me to look into the initial deal. an hour, which is about
chapter they agreed on deal the worst in history. heart of a counter party Among other things, Wash- one-ninth of average wag-
were not available. “We all know that this is and divine their true inten- ington wants local-content es north of the border.
Canadian Foreign Minister an administration that is tion.” The United States rules tightened to avoid Lighthizer said the U.S. has
Chrystia Freeland said that openly protectionist. It’s an wants to eliminate NAFTA’s imports largely made in an interest in having wages
on potentially the most dif- administration that speaks Chapter 19 private arbitra- third countries from being in Mexico go up, the rea-
ficult areas the U.S. has not quite openly of the Amer- tion panels, while Canada considered “made in North soning being that higher
introduced formal propos- ica first policy. That is the wants to keep them. The America” just because they wages in Mexico will make
als or text. Freeland said reality that Canada has to panels can overrule tariffs, were assembled in Mexico. it a less attractive place for
Canada can’t respond deal with,” Freeland said. making it harder for the U.S. Freeland said the U.S. has manufacturing outsourc-
to something that has not A fourth round of negotia- to unilaterally block prod- not introduced a proposal ing. “We are clearly looking
been introduced. tions is scheduled for Oct. ucts. on rules of origin. at ways with the Mexican
Mexican Economy Secre- 11-15 in Washington. “Our government is abso- The talks took place negotiators to try to have
tary Ildefonso Guajardo Asked if she thinks the U.S. lutely committed to de- this week just at the U.S. an impact on the wages in
also said “substantial chal- really wants a deal, Free- fending it,” said Freeland, Commerce Department Mexico,” he said. q

White house mulls cargo waiver to assist Puerto Rico

By MICHAEL BIESECKER ricane Maria struck. ana, however, Trump sug-
Associated Press The Trump administra- gested he may be open to
WASHINGTON (AP) — Un- tion has said a waiver is changing course. He said
der pressure to do more not needed this time, be- some U.S. shipping execu-
to help hurricane-ravaged cause there are enough tives opposed a temporary
Puerto Rico, President Don- U.S. flagged ships available waiver. “Well, we’re think-
ald Trump said Wednes- to ferry goods to Puerto ing about that,” the presi-
day his administration was Rico. Officials at the Home- dent said. “But we have a
considering waiving a lit- land Security Department, lot of shippers and a lot of
tle-known federal law that speaking on condition of people and a lot of people
prohibits foreign-flagged anonymity because they who work in the shipping
ships from shuttling goods were not authorized to industry that don’t want
between U.S. ports. Repub- discuss the issue by name, the Jones Act lifted. And
licans and Democrats have said the bottleneck is with we have a lot of ships out
pushed Trump to waive unloading cargo at the is- there right now.” Republi-
the Jones Act, saying it land’s damaged ports and cans and Democrats were
could help get desperately From left, New York Reps. Joe Crowley, Nydia Velazquez, Jose getting the supplies inland. pressing the issue. Even be-
needed supplies delivered Serrano and Yvette Clarke talk about the damage in Puerto They made the remarks fore the storm hit, shipping
Rico caused by Hurricane Maria on Capitol Hill in Washington,
to the island more quickly Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017. Rep. Velázquez, who was born in Puerto in a background confer- household and commer-
and at less cost. Acting Rico, urged Trump to waive a little-known federal law that ence call with reporters to cial goods to Puerto Rico
Homeland Security Secre- prohibits foreign-flagged ships from shuttling goods between justify the administration’s cost roughly double what
tary Elaine Duke waived U.S. ports. decision. Asked about it did to nearby Jamaica
the law earlier this month (AP Photo/Matthew Daly) that decision as he left the and the Dominican Repub-
to help ease fuel shortages ing hurricanes Harvey and Puerto Rico, but expired White House to pitch his tax lic, where foreign vessels
in the Southeast follow- Irma. That order included last week shortly after Hur- plan at an event in Indi- are free to dock. q