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In reply to the discussion: Trump again threatens to leave Canada out of new NAFTA deal [View all]Bernardo de La Paz
(48,999 posts)3. Trump not going to kick Canada out. He can't kick Canada out. He would have tried if it served him.
US runs a trade surplus with Canada (goods and services) and a slight deficit (a few percent) if you only look at goods. And he lies about the specific aspects of automobiles, dairy, metals, and "national security".
Trump can't kick Canada out just by declaring so. NAFTA is a treaty that has been ratified. It takes Congressional action to complete an abrogation of the treaty.
It is not to tRump's advantage, politically, to kick Canada out.
1) He desperately needs a deal, any deal, because he hasn't made any deal with any country. The so-called "deal" with Mexico is only an agreement on a subset of issues.
2) Abrogating NAFTA would be an enormous disruption to the US economy and not to its benefit. Large numbers of tRumpLickers would lose jobs.
3) Other countries would be even more reluctant to trade with the US and would accelerate their movement to trade around the US by trading with each other.
4) If it was an advantage to the US to stop trading with Canada, he would have moved to do so already. Even if it was an advantage to him politically and a detriment to the US, he would have moved already. It is not even an advantage to him politically.
5) Massive punitive tariffs will be reciprocated and have drastic effects on the US economy. But they could be reversed quickly when tRump leaves office.
Finally, tRump has only one trick in his negotiating playbook: act like a bully and hope the other side falls for it.
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Does Sanders give a shit about Vermont? The OP specifically mentions Bernie Sanders. . nt
Bernardo de La Paz
Sep 2018
#4
Trump not going to kick Canada out. He can't kick Canada out. He would have tried if it served him.
Bernardo de La Paz
Sep 2018
#3
Yes. Despite WTO being good for the US. 6-front trade war not enough, he has to attack whole world
Bernardo de La Paz
Sep 2018
#7
US runs a trade surplus with Canada (goods and services) & slight deficit if you only look at goods
Bernardo de La Paz
Sep 2018
#17
Yes, indeed, can't be over emphasized: inextricably linked. . . . nt
Bernardo de La Paz
Sep 2018
#19
It is seems to be a gentler capitalism wherein the smaller producers are not crushed by monopolists
Marcuse
Sep 2018
#25
It's not about what's best for the U.S., it's about Trump shoving people around.
LastLiberal in PalmSprings
Sep 2018
#28