Shave 200 billion off? Are you under the impression that if a new deal isn't signed most trade will simply cease? 200 billion USD is not a drop in any bucket.

No, I simply threw out a random number as means of an example.

$200 billion is a drizzle when you're talking about $4 trillion, and a category 5 cyclone when you are talking about $800 billion. Though, see above, that was just a random figure.

But, whatever. Neither of us have any say in what happens.

There is nothing to "wait out" - that is warped Trump zero sum game thinking. NAFTA or other trade agreements are put in place to provide an overall benefit through increased trade. Some sectors are impacted in each nation, but on balance each economy does better by agreeing to cooperate. The US will do itself no favours by increasing costs in its own supply chain, and weakening the purchasing power of one of its greatest customers.

Without Canada, not so sure congress would approve the deal, at least before the election in November, but who knows.

Trump apparently thinks congress should just butt out.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/naf...tter-1.4807836

He has a simplistic view of the world and of life generally. His wealth and celebrity afford him a veneer of competence and knowledge well beyond what he deserves. If somehow Sarah Palin had made it to the Whitehouse and was pushing the same nonsensical trade and foreign policies, nobody would take her seriously. The current emporor has no clothes, but somehow a vast percentage of the American public do not realise it. Another 2/6 years of this ignoramus before the world can get back to stability and progress. Until then, it's humour and coax the bull in the china shop.

I think that's rather a harsh view of the American public. It's rather as if an American wrote "and yet somehow a vast percentage of the British public fail to realise the stupidity of Brexit". Knowing the train wreck is coming is not the same as being able to prevent the train wreck.

I see the analogy, but I was commenting on Trump the individual. I think many are duped by his veneer of 'success' (itself very questionable considering parentage, local subsidies, commercial practices and aggressive financing).

Brexit. New polls today. BJ bombast re-started. Government disunity and Opposition incompetence. All very dispiriting. The cliff beckons (nationally, not personally!).

It is very uncertain that Trump has the authority to instruct Congress to rule on a bilateral trade deal with Mexico. That would, effectively, break NAFTA - and that, under the terms of the agreement, requires six months notice to other parties following Congressional/Parliamentary approval on the part of the withdrawing party. Congress did give approval, last year, for a renegotiation of the terms of NAFTA, but that is premised on a tripartite free trade agreement.

Once again, it seems, Trump and his administration have failed on a fairly fundamental level to understand how government actually works. Quite aside from the stupidity of all the assumptions in the "zero-sum" view of international relations, it's simply not within the scope of his own administration's powers to cut a side deal between two parties in an existing three-party agreement. It would fall to pieces at the first court challenge, even if Congress thinks it can push something through in their 90-day window.

Now that he's having a battle with the head of the AFL- CIO his love affair with blue collar voters could be in question as well.

Looks like a deal may have been agreed upon.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/naf...rump-1.4844623

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2...afta-deal.html

What a big orange doorknob. I suppose Canada had to negotiate on a damage-limitation basis until a less combative president emerges.

Hoping by the next election the rust belt states will have come to their senses and not vote for this dork.

Stupid system we have in the US where a majority of voters can vote for one candidate but the other can win with less total votes.

That's by no means something peculiar to the US.
We had an election in NB last week. Out of 49 seats, the Libs got 21, the PCs 22, the anti-French People's Alliance got 3 and the Greens 3. Nobody wants to do a deal with the alliance - except the PCs are willing to (and have the nerve to accuse the Libs of being "desperate" because they are willing to team up with the respectable greens - as indeed the PCs are...who will align themselves with anyone but say it's the other lot who are desperate.

The popular vote was Libs 143,791 (38%) and PCs 121,300 (32%)

As was expected the current congress wont have time to deal with the trade agreement and will be left for the next congress.



https://globalnews.ca/news/4556786/n...6XIPt9Kgg4MizA

Current House of Representatives don't appear happy with the new NAFTA.

"Once considered a done deal, the replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement has hit a roadblock after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared that there will be no vote in Congress unless Mexico changes its labour laws."

https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/new-...ened-1.4363491