Thanks for the kind introduction and thank you for hosting this and giving me this chance to share my thoughts and have a conversation about what i think is an important topic. I appreciate everybody who came out, as well. I can, and one of the messages i get repeatedly from my staff, they like to take me aside, it doesnt mean you cant give a short speech and ill keep that advice in mind as i work through my remarks and look forward to the exchange with derek. So when i think of usmca, its a starting point about nafta. Why did the administration feel it was necessary to renegotiate nafta because that was the start of usmca. So was it that nafta was an unfair, imbalanced agreement or a lack of reciprocity or was it left that the tariffs left in nafta that they were too high and they were unacceptable obstacles to trade . No to all those questions. Nafta is a Free Trade Agreement and zero tariffs on 100 of manufactured goods and no quotas, no obstacles, and it me its the epitome of a fre
I think is an important topic and i appreciate everybody who came out this morning as well. I can tell you i take seriously the advice i get from my staff and one of the messages i get repeatedly from my staff, they like to take me aside and remember just because you cant give a good speech doesnt mean you cant give a short speech. I will keep that in mind as i work my way through my remarks and look forward to the exchange with derek. Lets talk about us mca. When we talk about this, it is worth having a starting point, a question about nafta. Why is it the administration felt it was necessary to renegotiate nafta. That is starting point for us mca. Was it nafta was an unfair, unbalanced agreement, or tariffs that were unacceptable obstacles to trade . Now to all those questions. Nafta is a freetrade agreement. 0 tariffs on 97 of agricultural goods, no quotas, no obstacles, the epitome of a free, fair, reciprocal trade agreement and since nafta was implemented, american exports from me
Were these demonstrations over the Christmas Period targeted in small pockets or widespread . Dan mostly small pockets. Targeted at shopping malls in particular, looking to hit the retail sector, which has really been battered by six months of protests. We saw clashes at shopping malls. 20 people were injured. There is another rally tonight, in a suburban area of hong kong, and a couple over the weekend, all pointing to the big rally downtown on new years day. Matt what are the plans for that big rally, further protest . How organized is this movement . Dan the Group Organizing the een convening some of the largest rallies we have seen. There are various elements of the protesters. Siderganized side, the that tries to abide by laws, and then the frontline protesters, the ones lighting fires and battling the police, and a sort of work in parallel. On january 1, thats organized by a group that tries to get police permission. That is pending right now. We are likely to hear about 48 hours
When we talk about this, its worth having as a starting point about nafta. Why was it that the administration felt it was to renegotiate nafta . That obviously is the starting point for usmca. Was it that nafta was an unfair, unbalanced agreement . Was it lack of reciprocity . In it that the tariffs left nafta too high, there were obstacles to trade . No to all of those questions. Ight, nafta is a Free Trade Agreement. Zero tariffs on 100 of manufactured goods. 97 of iffs on agricultural goods . Quotas, no obstacles, to of a free, itome fair, reciprocal trade agreement. And since nafta was implemented, american exports to mexico are up over 500 . To mexico a exports have grown right along with that, over 500 . I think you can make a case signed in 1993, a lot has changed in the economy we have n, and so now this whole digital sector. We have this whole sector that didnt even exist. And so modernizing certainly sense. But thats not the reason the administration wanted to renegotiate naf
Earlier today senator pat toomey of pennsylvania spoke out against the u. S. Mexicocanada trade agreement at an event hosted by the American Enterprise institute. Following his remarks, senator toomey took questions from the audience. This is an hour. Thanks for the kind introduction and thank you for hosting this and giving me this chance to share my thoughts and have a conversation about what i think is an important topic. I a preesh everyboppreciate eve out, as well. I can, and one of the messages i get repeatedly from my staff, they like to take me aside, it doesnt mean you cant give a short speech and ill keep that advice in mind as i work through my remarks and look forward to the exchange with derek. So when i think of usmca, its a starting point about nafta. Why did the u. S. Feel it was necessary to renegotiate nafta because that was the start of usmca. So was it that nafta was an unfair, unbalanced agreement or a lack of reciprocity or was it left that the tariffs left in naf