Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 11/28/17


Eliminating Canadian tariffs on U.S. poultry products and expanding transparency on other trade issues are among the new items in an update of the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) objectives for the upcoming North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations.

U.S. Canadian and Mexican negotiations last week completed the fifth round of talks on revising NAFTA and are scheduled to resume meetings next month in Washington, D.C. USTR recently updated the objectives list issued in July 2017 to include several new items, including:
• The elimination of all remaining Canadian Tariffs on imports of U.S. dairy, poultry and egg products.
• The elimination of “discriminatory barriers and unjustified technical barriers,” including those affecting U.S. grain and alcohol beverages.
• Reinforce commitments to promptly publish laws and rulings that affect trade and investment and provide opportunities for public comment before measures are finalized.
• Ensuring transparency and accountability in the development, implementation and review of regulations.
• Increasing opportunities for US. firms to sell U.S. products and services into the NAFTA countries.

The new update also expands previously listed provisions covering small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), specifically establishing a NAFTA trilateral committee and dialogue on increasing commercial opportunities within NAFTA for SMEs.

USTR Robert Lighthizer issued a statement last week that said he was “concerned about the lack of headway” in NAFTA talks.

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