Johns Hopkins SAIS experts available to discuss the future of NAFTA amid negotiations

EXPERT ADVISORY
 
As the first round of negotiations conclude over the North American Free Trade Agreement, experts at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) are available to discuss the future of the trade pact between the United States, Canada and Mexico.
 
“The ambitious timetable for the negotiations – designed to complete the agreement before the 2018 Mexican elections – will limit what can be achieved in NAFTA 2.0, said Dr. Christopher Sands, Director of the Center for Canadian Studies. “But reopening NAFTA creates a precedent, and a NAFTA 3.0 is likely in the next decade, now that there is widespread recognition of the need to improve the architecture of the North American economy.”
 
Dr. Francisco E. González, the Riordan Roett Senior Associate Professor of Latin American Studies, said Mexico could face the biggest loss if the agreement is terminated. “The negotiations entail high stakes for several Mexican industrial sectors after two and a half decades of being integrated into global supply chains whose products end up in the American market,” he said.
 
The scholars are available to further discuss:

• What are the individual interests and strategies of Canada, the United States and Mexico?
• How will the agreement impact global trade, international investments, regulatory cooperation and labor mobility?
• How will the U.S. Congress play an unprecedented role in the NAFTA renegotiation?
• What are the public opinions and political attitudes about the renewed talks?
• What is the history of Canada-U.S. trade relations?
• How might the future of NAFTA impact the agriculture, energy and auto industries in Mexico?

With talks set to resume in September, the outcome of the trade agreement remains uncertain. But each country has the potential to make gains, especially a new U.S. administration seeking advances with new policies. Dr. Charles Doran, the Director of Canadian Studies and Director of the Global Theory and History Program, recalled a former Canadian prime minister who made a campaign promise to tear up the NAFTA agreement before he was elected into office. “He did not tear up the agreement, and neither will Donald Trump,” Doran said. “Trump will obtain a re-negotiated NAFTA and declare it a victory for the United States, and he will be partially right. Trade agreements are rarely popular, but they are necessary.”


Media Contact
Stacy A. Anderson
Communications Manager
Johns Hopkins SAIS
202.663.5620 office
202.853.7983 mobile
[email protected]
 
 About Johns Hopkins SAIS
 A division of Johns Hopkins University, the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is a global institution that offers students an international perspective on today's critical issues. For nearly 75 years, Johns Hopkins SAIS has produced great leaders, thinkers, and practitioners of international relations. Public leaders and private sector executives alike seek the counsel of the faculty, whose ideas and research inform and shape policy. Johns Hopkins SAIS offers a global perspective across three campus locations: Bologna, Italy; Nanjing, China; and Washington, D.C. The school’s interdisciplinary curriculum is strongly rooted in the study of international economics, international relations, and regional studies, preparing students to address multifaceted challenges in the world today.
 
For more information, visit sais-jhu.edu or @SAISHopkins
 
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