Farmscape for August 9, 2018
The Vice-President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute observes the stand being taken by the President-Elect of Mexico on the North American Free Trade Agreement appears positive.
Among the key recent developments in terms of the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement has been Mexico's election of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Colin Robertson, the Vice-President and a Fellow of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, notes Lopez Obrador won 53 percent of the popular vote, he took a majority in their House of Representatives, their Senate and a significant number of the 31 Mexican states so he goes in with a big mandate.
Clip-Colin Robertson-Canadian Global Affairs Institute:
Obviously a new administration will take a different perspective and this is the first truly left wing government we've had in Mexico in really 100 years and he's assembled a cabinet that, by most pundant's assessment, are technocrats and could fit almost into any administration.
While there had been some concerns that he was opposed to NAFTA, he's certainly not indicated that.
In fact he seems to be committed to continuing the policies of the Pena Nieto regime in terms of participation in the NAFTA and in staying in close alignment with Canada.
Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and our new Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr where in Mexico two weeks ago and they met with the transition team as well as President-Elect Lopez Obrador and, coming out of that meeting, the staff of President Lopez Obrador said that he wanted to remain working closely in partnership with Canada in the NAFTA negotiations and to continue to improve the Canada-Mexico partnership generally.
Robertson suggests Canada and Mexico need to stand together.
He says we also need to double-down on our outreach pointing out to our American friends that North American trade is a proven win-win-win proposition.
For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.
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