U. S. officials are visiting Mexico Friday, adding to speculation that the Trump administration may be looking for a victory on another trade front while tensions escalate with China
U. S. officials are visiting Mexico Friday, adding to speculation that the Trump administration may be looking for a victory on another trade front while tensions escalate with China .
“We believe the administration is looking to cut a deal on NAFTA or some deal on zero tariffs for autos,” said Dan Clifton, head of policy research at Strategas Research. “We believe that of the two, NAFTA has a better shot at conclusion.”
Secretary of State Michael Pompeo will be in Mexico on Friday meeting with the current president and the president-elect of Mexico, Clifton noted. ‘It’s worth keeping an eye on since so much work has already been done on NAFTA.”
Pompeo and White House adviser Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, are expected to travel to Mexico City to meet incoming president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen also will be attending a meeting with Lopez Obrador at his campaign headquarters, according to news reports.
“We know Lopez Obrador would want to move forward and modernize NAFTA. It could be a talking point. It’s probably being discussed, but I don’t see that as the most critical issue on the agenda,” said Juan Carlos Hartasánchez, Albright Stonebridge Group senior director. He said security and immigration are likely higher on the agenda.
