Read the Beforeitsnews.com story here. Advertise at Before It's News here.
Profile image
By Fight Back News (Reporter)
Contributor profile | More stories
Story Views
Now:
Last hour:
Last 24 hours:
Total:

No to the new NAFTA

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.


On, Sept. 30, Canada agreed to changes in NAFTA pushed by the Trump administration following an earlier agreement by Mexico. The New NAFTA still needs to be approved by the legislators of all three countries, and a vote is not expected in the U.S. Congress until early next year. Wall Street seemed satisfied with the agreement, with most U.S. stock market indices going up the next day.

The Trump administration has been bragging about how the New NAFTA, officially called the United States Canada Mexico Agreement or USCMA, will bring more jobs to the United States. The New NAFTA does raise the North American content for car parts rule and requires 40% of the labor in making the cars be paid $16 an hour, which is well above the wages paid to Mexican auto workers. But cars that don’t meet these new standards will only have to pay a 2.5% tariff, which is what all cars coming from Europe, Japan and South Korea already pay.

But even if the New NAFTA does boost auto manufacturing in the United States, it likely won’t help U.S. auto workers. Just look at what happened following the Trump administration’s tariffs on steel. U.S. steel prices rose 33%, U.S. steel companies’ profits soared, and U.S. steel workers got…nothing. In fact, the unionized steel workers at ArcelorMittel, the world’s biggest steel producer have authorized a strike against the company’s proposed contracts that would increase the cost of health care for its workers.

Less talked about, but important, are other changes made to the old NAFTA. Two changes refer to so-called “intellectual property” or the ability of corporations to make even more profits off of new ideas. The New NAFTA extends copyrights from 50 to 70 years beyond the death of the author. It also extends the patent period for new drugs to ten years, which will raise drug prices in Canada, where prices are often half that of the United States.

The New NAFTA also makes it harder for Canada and Mexico to restrict the use of GMOs (genetically modified organism) produced by large agribusinesses like Monsanto. The New NAFTA also paves the way for the use of new synthetic or man-made pesticides. Many of these synthetic pesticides have ended up being banned because of their effects on both animals and human beings, the most famous of which was DDT.

The New NAFTA is also an attempt to bind the Mexican and Canadian economies closer to the United States. One the changes is meant to prevent either country from signing a free trade agreement with China.

The Trump administration used a major threat of putting 25% tariffs on cars made in Mexico and Canada to extract some concessions for U.S. dairy farmers from Canada in the New NAFTA and then declared a great victory. Trump hopes to use the same method on the European Union and China. But both are much larger economies than either Canada or Mexico and are much less entwined with the U.S. economy. Both the EU and China have said that they are not going to be bullied by the Trump administration and retaliated to earlier Trump tariffs on European steel and aluminum and tariffs on almost half the goods that China exports to the United States.

The New NAFTA is good for big corporations, and bad for workers in U.S., Canada, and Mexico. It should be opposed and rejected.


Source: http://www.fightbacknews.org/2018/10/7/no-new-nafta


Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world.

Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.

"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

Please Help Support BeforeitsNews by trying our Natural Health Products below!


Order by Phone at 888-809-8385 or online at https://mitocopper.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomic.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST

Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomics.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST


Humic & Fulvic Trace Minerals Complex - Nature's most important supplement! Vivid Dreams again!

HNEX HydroNano EXtracellular Water - Improve immune system health and reduce inflammation.

Ultimate Clinical Potency Curcumin - Natural pain relief, reduce inflammation and so much more.

MitoCopper - Bioavailable Copper destroys pathogens and gives you more energy. (See Blood Video)

Oxy Powder - Natural Colon Cleanser!  Cleans out toxic buildup with oxygen!

Nascent Iodine - Promotes detoxification, mental focus and thyroid health.

Smart Meter Cover -  Reduces Smart Meter radiation by 96%! (See Video).

Report abuse

    Comments

    Your Comments
    Question   Razz  Sad   Evil  Exclaim  Smile  Redface  Biggrin  Surprised  Eek   Confused   Cool  LOL   Mad   Twisted  Rolleyes   Wink  Idea  Arrow  Neutral  Cry   Mr. Green

    MOST RECENT
    Load more ...

    SignUp

    Login

    Newsletter

    Email this story
    Email this story

    If you really want to ban this commenter, please write down the reason:

    If you really want to disable all recommended stories, click on OK button. After that, you will be redirect to your options page.