{"id":65900,"date":"2018-08-27T13:52:58","date_gmt":"2018-08-27T20:52:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.46.6.243\/?p=65900"},"modified":"2018-08-27T13:52:58","modified_gmt":"2018-08-27T20:52:58","slug":"president-trump-in-phone-call-with-president-pena-nieto-of-mexico-on-the-united-states-mexico-trade-agreement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=65900","title":{"rendered":"President Trump in Phone Call with President Pe\u00f1a Nieto of Mexico on the United States-Mexico Trade Agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230; Hello everybody.  It\u2019s a big day for trade, a big day for our country.  A lot of people thought we\u2019d never get here because we all negotiate tough.  We do, and so does Mexico.  And this is a tremendous thing.  This has to do \u2014 they used to call it NAFTA.  We\u2019re going to call it the United States-Mexico Trade Agreement, and we\u2019ll get rid of the name NAFTA.  It has a bad connotation because the United States was hurt very badly by NAFTA for many years.  And now it\u2019s a really good deal for both countries, and we look very much forward to it.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QXviH2LumcA\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>And I believe the President is on the phone.  Enrique?  You can hook him up.  Tell me when.<\/p>\n<p>How are you?  It\u2019s a big thing.  A lot of people waiting.  Hello?  Do you want to put that on this phone, please?  Hello?  Be helpful.<\/p>\n<p>PRESIDENT PE\u00d1A NIETO:  (As interpreted.)  President Trump, how are you?  Good morning.<\/p>\n<p>PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Thank you, Enrique.  And congratulations.  That\u2019s really a fantastic thing.  We\u2019ve all worked very hard, and your brilliant representatives are sitting right in front of me.  And I thought we would congratulate each other before it got out.  And I know we\u2019ll have a formal news conference in the not-too-distant future.<\/p>\n<p>PRESIDENT PE\u00d1A NIETO:  (As interpreted.)  Thank you very much, President Trump.  I think this is something very positive for the United States and Mexico.  And the first reason for this call, Mr. President, is, first of all, to celebrate the understanding we have had between both negotiating peace on NAFTA, in the interest we have had for quite a few months now to renew it, to modernize it, to update it, and to generate a framework that will boost and potentiate productivity in North America.<\/p>\n<p>It is our wish, Mr. President, that now Canada will also be able to be incorporated in all this.  And I assume that they going to carry out negotiations of the sensitive bilateral issues between Mexico \u2014 rather, between Canada and the United States.<\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019m really grateful, Mr. President.  I want to say that you \u2014 I greatly recognize and acknowledge your political will and your participation in this.  And on this paved path, I want to bear my testimony, Mr. President, and my acknowledgement to both negotiating teams, especially the team that is headed and led by Mr. Robert Lighthizer, and also the accompaniment and the support we have had from the White House through Jared Kushner.<\/p>\n<p>And I also extend this recognition to the Mexican team.  They are listening to you.  They are close to you right now \u2014 Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray and the Secretary of the Economy, Mr. Guajardo.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, in terms of (inaudible) the negotiations that have taken months, it\u2019s been difficult, complex, and a very hard negotiation altogether with difficult moments, of course.  But I truly acknowledge now the fact that we\u2019ve been able to reach an agreement that we are about to make public.  And this is the result of good understanding and good work.  And I \u2014 of course, I am quite hopeful that now Canada would start discussing with the United States the sensitive bilateral issue.<\/p>\n<p>Congratulations, President Trump.  I am very grateful and I am attentive to your comments.<\/p>\n<p>PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Well, Mr. President, thank you very much.  It\u2019s an honor.  You\u2019ve been my friend.  It\u2019s been a long time since I traveled to Mexico, where we got to know each other quite well and we actually had a good meeting.  Some people weren\u2019t sure if it was a good meeting, but I was.<\/p>\n<p>I have a lot of good meetings that a lot of people aren\u2019t sure if they were good or not.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s been a long time, and this is something that\u2019s very special for our manufacturers and for our farmers from both countries, for all of the people that work for jobs.  It\u2019s also great trade and it makes it a much more fair bill.  And we are very, very excited about it.<\/p>\n<p>We have worked long and hard.  Your representatives have been terrific.  My representatives have been fantastic too.  They\u2019ve gotten along very well, and they\u2019ve worked late into the night for months.  It\u2019s an extremely complex bill and it\u2019s something that I think will be talked about for many years to come.  It\u2019s just good for both countries.<\/p>\n<p>As far Canada is concerned, we haven\u2019t started with Canada yet.  We wanted to do Mexico and see if that was possible to do.  And it wasn\u2019t \u2014 I think, it wasn\u2019t from any standpoint something that most people thought was even doable when we started.<\/p>\n<p>If you look at it, you remember, at the beginning, many people thought that this was something that just couldn\u2019t happen because of all of the different factions, all of the different sides, and the complexity.  And we made it much simpler, much better.  Much better for both countries.<\/p>\n<p>Canada will start negotiations shortly.  I\u2019ll be calling the Prime Minister very soon.  And we\u2019ll start negotiation, and if they\u2019d like to negotiate fairly, we\u2019ll do that.  You know, they have tariffs of almost 300 percent on some of our dairy products, and we can\u2019t have that.  We\u2019re not going to stand for that.<\/p>\n<p>I think with Canada, frankly, the easiest thing we can do is to tariff their cars coming in.  It\u2019s a tremendous amount of money and it\u2019s a very simple negotiation.  It could end in one day and we take in a lot of money the following day.<\/p>\n<p>But I think we\u2019ll give them a chance to probably have a separate deal.  We can have a separate deal or we can put it into this deal.  I like to call this deal the United States-Mexico Trade Agreement.  I think it\u2019s an elegant name.  I think NAFTA has a lot of bad connotations for the United States because it was a rip-off.  It was a deal that was a horrible deal for our country, and I think it\u2019s got a lot of bad connotations to a lot of people.  And so we will probably \u2014 you and I will agree to the name.<\/p>\n<p>We will see whether or not we decide to put up Canada or just do a separate deal with Canada, if they want to make the deal.  The simplest deal is more or less already made.  It would be very easy to do and execute.<\/p>\n<p>But I will \u2014 I will tell you that working with you has been a pleasure.  Speaking with and working President-elect L\u00f3pez Obrador has been absolutely a very, very special time.<\/p>\n<p>You both came together for your country.  You worked together.  I think that\u2019s important for the media to know.  We have a little \u2014 a small amount of media in our presence, like everybody.  And the media should know that the President and the President-elect worked very closely together because the President felt it was important that the President-elect liked what he was seeing.<\/p>\n<p>And our teams worked together.  Our teams were really well unified, and your team was very well unified.  I was very impressed with the fact that the two Presidents came together and worked out something mutually agreeable.<\/p>\n<p>So it\u2019s an incredible deal.  It\u2019s an incredible deal for both parties.  Most importantly, it\u2019s an incredible deal for the workers and for the citizens of both countries.  Our farmers are going to be so happy.  You know, my farmers \u2014 the farmers have stuck with me; I said we were going to do this.  And Mexico has promised to immediately start purchasing as much farm product as they can.  They\u2019re going to work on that very hard.<\/p>\n<p>And as you know, we\u2019re working \u2014 unrelated to this, we\u2019re working very much with other countries.  China is one; they want to talk.  And it\u2019s just not right time to talk right now, to be honest, with China.  It\u2019s been \u2014 it\u2019s too one-sided for too many years, for too many decades.  And so it\u2019s not the right time to talk.  But eventually, I\u2019m sure, that we\u2019ll be able to work out a deal with China.  In the meantime, we\u2019re doing very well with China.<\/p>\n<p>Our economy is up.  It\u2019s never been this good before, and I think it\u2019s only going to get better.<\/p>\n<p>But, Mr. President, you\u2019ve been my friend and you have been somebody that\u2019s been very special in a lot of ways.  We talk a lot.  We talked a lot about this deal.  And I\u2019d like to congratulate you and the Mexican people.<\/p>\n<p>PRESIDENT PE\u00d1A NIETO:  (As interpreted.)  Thank you very much, Mr. President.<\/p>\n<p>I finally recognize this, especially because of the point of understanding we are now reaching on this deal.  And I really hope and I desire \u2014 I wish \u2014 that the part with Canada will be materializing in a very concrete fashion; that we can have an agreement the way we proposed it from the initiation of this renegotiating process, a tripartite.<\/p>\n<p>But today I celebrate the (inaudible) between the United States and Mexico because we\u2019re reaching a final point of understanding.  And I hope that in the following days we can materialize (inaudible) in the formalization of the agreement.<\/p>\n<p>Something additional, Mr. President \u2014 and you have already mentioned it \u2014 it has to do with an involved and committed participation of the administration and the President-elect of Mexico.  As you know, we are now going through a period of transition, and it has been possible to create a highly unified front between the negotiating team of this administration and the people appointed by the President-elect of Mexico to be observers and participate in this agreement, in this understanding, to reach the point we are now reaching.<\/p>\n<p>The President-elect has been aware of everything that has been happening, and I have also had the opportunity of talking to him directly and personally on the progress being made.<\/p>\n<p>You have also had direct conversations with President-elect.  Things that we have to do and I hope we have the space to do it would be to find \u2014 to toast a good toast with tequila, of course \u2014 (laughter) \u2014 to celebrate this understanding.<\/p>\n<p>PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Enrique, I think that\u2019s exactly right.  And you know the good relationship that I\u2019ve already established with the President-elect.  I was very impressed with him, I must tell you.  He was terrific in every way.  And he wants \u2014 you know, he loves your country like you love your country.  You want to do the right thing.  And we\u2019re really doing the right thing for all of us.  So I really enjoy that.  Please send him my regards, and I will speak to him very shortly.<\/p>\n<p>But this was great that you were able to do it together.  I think doing it mutually as opposed to just you doing it \u2014 or even just him doing it \u2014 I think a mutual agreement between your two administrations was a fantastic thing.  I suggested that early on, and I think it was immediately embraced and I think it was a really fantastic thing that you were able to do it \u2014 and with great spirit.  I mean, it was great coordination and spirit.  So I think that is really just great.<\/p>\n<p>And, you know, one of the things that I\u2019m excited about is you\u2019re going to be helping us at the border.  You\u2019re going to be working together with us on agriculture.  You\u2019re going to be working in many different ways, and we\u2019re going to be working with you in many different ways.  This is a very comprehensive agreement.<\/p>\n<p>So, Enrique, I will see you soon.  I think we\u2019re going to have a very formal ceremony.  This is one of the largest trade deals ever made.  Maybe the largest trade deal ever made.  And it\u2019s really something very special that two countries were able to come together and get it done.<\/p>\n<p>And I just want to thank all of my people \u2014 Bob and Jared.  And, gentlemen, you have been really great, the way you\u2019ve worked so long.  And I know you\u2019ve been going up until three o\u2019clock, four o\u2019clock in the morning, and then getting in at eight.<\/p>\n<p>So I just want to \u2014 on behalf of the United States, I want to thank you very much.  And I can say that Mexico is very proud of you.  They\u2019re very proud of you.  Thank you all very much.<\/p>\n<p>Enrique, I\u2019ll see you soon.  I\u2019ll talk to you soon.  And congratulations, and job well done.<\/p>\n<p>PRESIDENT PE\u00d1A NIETO:  (As interpreted).  Thank you, Mr. President, and congratulations as well to you, to the negotiating team, to the (inaudible) of both countries.  We\u2019ll be waiting for Canada to be integrated into this process.<\/p>\n<p>I send you an affectionate hug.  And all my greetings to you and my regards.<\/p>\n<p>PRESIDENT TRUMP:  A hug from you would be very nice.  (Laughter).  Thank you.  So long.  Thanks.  Goodbye, Enrique.<\/p>\n<p>Okay, so we\u2019ve made the deal with Canada.  It\u2019s a very \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q    With Canada?<\/p>\n<p>PRESIDENT TRUMP:  They\u2019re starting.  We made the deal with Mexico.  And I think it\u2019s a very \u2014 deal.  We\u2019re starting negotiations with Canada, pretty much immediately.  I can\u2019t tell you where those negotiations are gone.  It\u2019s going to be a \u2014 it\u2019s a smaller segment, as you know.  Mexico is a very large trading partner.  But we\u2019ve now concluded our deal and it\u2019s being finalized.<\/p>\n<p>And, Bob, when would you say it will be signed \u2014 actually, formally, signed?<\/p>\n<p>AMBASSADOR LIGHTHIZER:  Well, it will likely be signed at the end of November because there\u2019s a 90-day layover period because of our statute.  But we expect to submit our letter to Congress, beginning that process on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Okay, so that starts the process.<\/p>\n<p>AMBASSADOR LIGHTHIZER:  And then 90 days later, it will be signed.<\/p>\n<p>PRESIDENT TRUMP:  We have an agreement where \u2014 both with Canada and with Mexico \u2014 I will terminate the existing deal.  When that happens, I can\u2019t quite tell you; it depends on what the timetable is with Congress.  But I\u2019ll be terminating the existing deal and going into this deal.  We\u2019ll start negotiating with Canada relatively soon.  They want to start \u2014 they want to negotiate very badly.<\/p>\n<p>But one way or the other, we have a deal with Canada.  It will either be a tariff on cars, or it will be a negotiated deal.  And, frankly, a tariff on cars is a much easier way to go.  But perhaps the other would be much better for Canada.<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re looking to help \u2014 you know, we\u2019re looking to help our neighbors, too.  If we can help our neighbors, that\u2019s a good thing, not a bad thing.  So we\u2019re going to start that negotiation imminently.  I\u2019ll be speaking with Prime Minister Trudeau in a little while.<\/p>\n<p>So I want to thank everybody.  I want to thank you.  What a great job you\u2019ve all done.  And it\u2019s been \u2014 it\u2019s been a long one, but a lot of people thought this was not a doable transaction.  It\u2019s going to be great for our people.  And again, I want to thank you folks.  And we\u2019ll see you at the signing, and we\u2019ll see you many times before that, I\u2019m sure.<\/p>\n<p>So, congratulations to the people of Mexico.  Great job.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you very much everybody.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230; Hello everybody. It\u2019s a big day for trade, a big day for our country. A lot of people thought we\u2019d never get here because we all negotiate tough. We do, and so does Mexico. And this is a tremendous thing. This has to do \u2014 they used to call it NAFTA. We\u2019re going [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,20,5,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-featured","category-government","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/whitehouselogo200.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65900","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=65900"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65900\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=65900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=65900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=65900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}