How To Stay Informed And Get Involved In The NAFTA Conversation

Sometimes we come across the most interesting people when we are researching the "State of Affairs" through the lens of North American Businesses. This week researching NAFTA we learned about Rosemary Coates. She has an interesting perspective because of her real world, hands on experience that she brings into her writing. Her article below, focused on the Mexico and U.S. cross-border challenges, and she has a point of view we hear being shared broadly. Let us introduce you and please let us know if you share her views or have another you believe we need to share as well!.

Coates is an expert in Supply Chain Dispute Resolution and she is the best-selling author of: 42 Rules for Sourcing and Manufacturing in China and Legal Blacksmith - How to Avoid and Defend Supply Chain Disputes. Ms. Coates lives in Silicon Valley and has worked with over 80 clients worldwide. She is also an Expert Witness for legal cases involving global supply chain matters. She is a globally savvy leader that understands not only supply chain, she understands history. She writes this in her most recent article for Supply Chain Management Review:

"There are economists who say NAFTA has already caused the loss of so many jobs to the lower-cost environments in Mexico. They argue that instead of doing nothing, we should take every opportunity to raise tariffs, eliminate NAFTA and close our borders to immigrants and trade.

But we have gone down this pathway before with the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which raised tariffs on about 900 products. Historians blame Smoot-Hawley for triggering the Great Depression of the 1930s.

For sure, NAFTA has its problems. The import/export paperwork to keep track of goods moving across the borders can be onerous. And the special rules for truckers from Mexico have taken a toll on American truckers. But overall, most economists think NAFTA has had a net positive effect on the US economy. I hope we have learned our lesson from American history"

Will CPTPP Impact NAFTA Negotiations?

Rosemary shared these sentiments eloquently. We expect that we will not see too much hardship occur between Canada and the U.S. border trade under the new negotiations. We have not thus far, and we see reasons to stay focused on business as usual.

When topics as broad as free trade re-negotiations, tariff amendments, any type of international border barriers to business are being discussed many of us want to be the fly on the wall that hears the discussion. We try to be that fly on the wall for you, our valued readers. We know that you also want to know how to have your voices heard in that discussion, especially when you are directly affected. You have questions:

• How are the field experts responding to the NAFTA re-negotiations?
• What are the experts discussing amongst their peers?
• How is your voice heard in these conversations?

One way to share your voice is to publish your concerns, insights, ideas or expertise online. Each week we publish and share industry news, our insights and reports that impact you as our readers. Do you have something that you would like us to share? Ask? Research for you? Let us know and we will add your requests to our weekly research and publishing goals.

Sign up to receive easy to understand updates and events on international trade