• Home
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise
    • Advertise On IP Watch
    • Editorial Calendar
  • Videos
  • Links
  • Help

Intellectual Property Watch

Original news and analysis on international IP policy

  • Copyright
  • Patents
  • Trademarks
  • Opinions
  • People News
  • Venues
    • Bilateral/Regional Negotiations
    • ITU/ICANN
    • United Nations – other
    • WHO
    • WIPO
    • WTO/TRIPS
    • Africa
    • Asia/Pacific
    • Europe
    • Latin America/Caribbean
    • North America
  • Themes
    • Access to Knowledge/ Open Innovation & Science
    • Food Security/ Agriculture/ Genetic Resources
    • Finance
    • Health & IP
    • Human Rights
    • Internet Governance/ Digital Economy/ Cyberspace
    • Lobbying
    • Technical Cooperation/ Technology Transfer
  • Health Policy Watch

NAFTA Second Round Ends With Unspecified “Important” Progress, Single Consolidated Text

06/09/2017 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Ministers from Mexico, Canada and the United States concluded the second weeklong round of negotiations for an updated North American Free Trade Agreement in the past four weeks, and claimed progress on “important” issues and the shaping of a text with some 24 chapters. But the government officials offered no specifics to the public.

“Today, we mark the conclusion of the second round of this historic negotiation,” US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a closing statement of the NAFTA talks held in Mexico City. “I am pleased to report that we have found mutual agreement on many important issues.”

He said their work continues “at a record pace,” and that by the end of this round, “we will have tabled text for over two dozen chapters.” A trilateral closing statement said two dozen working groups made up of “trade experts and technical officials” worked all week and consolidated proposals into a single text upon which the teams will continue to work during subsequent negotiation rounds.”

It was not clear who these dozens of experts and officials from each government were.

“Important progress was achieved in many disciplines,” the over-vague trilateral statement said without naming any of the disciplines.

These chapters “represent a new modern agreement which, once concluded, will support robust economic growth in North America for decades to come,” Lighthizer vowed.

Lighthizer mentioned three priorities for the US: agriculture, services, and “innovative industries.” He also made another nod to US manufacturers, and said the agreement must benefit “all Americans, and not just some at the expense of others.”

A trilateral statement from Lighthizer, Mexican Secretary of the Economy Ildefonso Guajardo, and Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland called the second round, from 1-5 September, “successfully concluded.”

The ministers said their countries will continue internal consultations at home until the next round, but it was not clear who will be consulted and how.

Lighthizer reminded reporters that the deal’s renegotiation is a high priority for President Trump. But hanging over the talks with an unclear effect has been Trump’s threats to end the agreement and his actions impacting Mexicans in the US.

Freeland was reported saying at the closing press conference that it is normal for the major sticking points to remain early in the negotiation, noting the talks are “accelerated”.

It also has been reported that Mexico’s low wages are an issue in the talks.

The goal of completing talks by year’s end is still alive, they said. The first round of talks took place in mid-August. The next round will be held in Ottawa from 23-27 September.

 

Image Credits: Wikipedia

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Related

William New may be reached at wnew@ip-watch.ch.

Creative Commons License"NAFTA Second Round Ends With Unspecified “Important” Progress, Single Consolidated Text" by Intellectual Property Watch is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Filed Under: IP Policies, Language, Themes, Venues, Bilateral/Regional Negotiations, Copyright Policy, Enforcement, English, North America, Patents/Designs/Trade Secrets, Regional Policy, Trademarks/Geographical Indications/Domains

Trackbacks

  1. A NAFTA sztori #1 – Új szabadkereskedelmi megállapodás a láthatáron – COPY21 says:
    17/09/2017 at 5:54 am

    […] szeptember 1-5. között Mexikóvárosban került sor. A tárgyalások után Robert Lighthizer arról tájékoztatta a nagyérdeműt, hogy sikerült 24 olyan fejezetet nyitni, amiről a jövőbeli tárgyalásokat folytatják majd a […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
My Tweets

IPW News Briefs

Saudis Seek Alternative Energy Partners Through WIPO Green Program

Chinese IP Officials Complete Study Of UK, European IP Law

Perspectives on the US

In US, No Remedies For Growing IP Infringements

US IP Law – Big Developments On The Horizon In 2019

More perspectives on the US...

Supported Series: Civil Society And TRIPS Flexibilities

Civil Society And TRIPS Flexibilities Series – Translations Now Available

The Myth Of IP Incentives For All Nations – Q&A With Carlos Correa

Read the TRIPS flexibilities series...

Paid Content

Interview With Peter Vanderheyden, CEO Of Article One Partners

More paid content...

IP Delegates in Geneva

  • IP Delegates in Geneva
  • Guide to Geneva-based Public Health and IP Organisations

All Story Categories

Other Languages

  • Français
  • Español
  • 中文
  • اللغة العربية

Archives

  • Archives
  • Monthly Reporter

Staff Access

  • Writers

Sign up for free news alerts

This site uses cookies to help give you the best experience on our website. Cookies enable us to collect information that helps us personalise your experience and improve the functionality and performance of our site. By continuing to read our website, we assume you agree to this, otherwise you can adjust your browser settings. Please read our cookie and Privacy Policy. Our Cookies and Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Global Policy Reporting

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.