{"id":4579,"date":"2017-09-26T05:50:04","date_gmt":"2017-09-26T10:50:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.iisd.org\/itn\/?p=4579"},"modified":"2024-08-09T18:28:05","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T16:28:05","slug":"canada-mexico-and-united-states-hold-first-and-second-rounds-of-nafta-renegotiation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iisd.org\/itn\/2017\/09\/26\/canada-mexico-and-united-states-hold-first-and-second-rounds-of-nafta-renegotiation\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada, Mexico and United States hold first rounds of NAFTA renegotiation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following U.S. President Trump\u2019s initiative to renegotiate<\/a> the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA<\/span>), the first round of negotiation took place in Washington, D.C. from August 16\u201320, 2017 and the second in Mexico City from September 1\u20135, 2017<\/a>. Additional rounds are scheduled<\/a> for September 23\u201327, 2017 in Canada and October in the United States.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) published its negotiating objectives<\/a> on July 17, 2017. The objectives with respect to investment are to \u201creduce or eliminate barriers to U.S. investment in all sectors\u201d and to secure rights for U.S. investors in NAFTA countries \u201cwhile ensuring that NAFTA country investors in the United States are not accorded greater substantive rights than domestic investors.\u201d The USTR is also reportedly preparing a proposal requiring NAFTA countries to opt in<\/a> to the investor\u2013state dispute settlement (ISDS<\/span>) mechanism.<\/p>\n

On August 14, 2017 Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland outlined Canada\u2019s core objectives<\/a>. She stated that \u201cNAFTA should be made more progressive\u201d by including strong provisions on labour, environment, gender equality and indigenous peoples. Freeland also stressed the need to reform ISDS \u201cto ensure that governments have an unassailable right to regulate in the public interest.\u201d<\/p>\n