WASHINGTON—Canada is a bigger export customer for the United States than China, Japan and the United Kingdom combined, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reminded an influential committee of the U.S. House of Representatives as the fourth round of continental trade talks kicked off in a suburb nearby. Their job, Trudeau said, is to make that crucial trade “easier.” Foreign leaders do not usually speak to House committees. Trudeau, however, has made a concerted effort in the Trump era to build alliances with American politicians other than the unpredictable president — a kind of protection against Trump’s protectionism. The Ways and Means Committee, which has responsibility for taxes and tariffs, would play a significant role in getting Congress to approve any new North American Free Trade Agreement deal or in attempting to thwart Trump from terminating the deal. There is growing concern among business groups and trade experts that Trump’s protectionist proposals could cause the talks to collapse. Trudeau called the committee “extremely important” to Canada. Read more: Donald Trump’s ‘outrageous’ demands put NAFTA negotiations at risk of collapse as talks resume Wednesday, experts sayMore than 30 of the committee’s 39 members were in attendance. Trudeau, greeted with polite applause, was seated next to Republican Rep. Kevin Brady, the committee chairman, who has called NAFTA “extremely beneficial to the United States” and Wednesday said he wants to turn it into a model for future agreements. Trump, conversely, has called it a “disaster” and the “worst trade deal ever made,” and he again threatened to terminate the deal in an interview published Tuesday. “We have to provide certainty for trade and investment to succeed,” Brady said in brief opening remarks. The lawmakers did some advocating of their own. Brady said he wanted better Canadian protection ...
|
