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.
