2018 Spring Farm

2018 Logan County Farm Outlook Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS March 22, 2018 Page 15 Since that time there has been little said about NAFTA, and it appears that the president has turned his attention on China and imposing tariffs there on goods sold to the United States. So what is to become of NAFTA? Writer for the Council on Foreign Relations Shannon K. O’Neil says the agreement has some specific timelines to meet IF it is to be changed. O’Neil notes, “On July 1, Mexican citizens will elect a new president and more than 3,000 officials, including every member of the House of Representatives, a third of the senators and eight governors. In this highly contested set of races, the economic model of the last 30 years, of which NAFTA is an integral part, is in effect on trial. That makes the timing of any announced compromise on NAFTA tricky. A resolution before the election opens the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party and its presidential candidate Jose Antonio Meade (lagging third in the polls) to broadsides from every direction, with every other aspirant sure to boast they could have gotten a better deal. Trump will aid these critiques, undoubtedly crowing about his huge win over Mexico, a country that until he came along was ‘killing us on jobs and trade.’” Even if the agreement would come to pass before the Mexico election, then there is the possibility, even probability that the entire process and progress made thus far will be scrapped and negotiations would begin again with a new set of lawmakers in Mexico. Continue 8