U.S.T.R Robert Lighthizer: U.S. Closing in on NAFTA Agreement With Mexico – Meanwhile, Canada is Useless…

For those following the nuance within ongoing U.S. trade discussions you have likely noted Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer speaking optimistically about a potential for a U.S. Mexico trade agreement. However, simultaneously the U.S. trade team is not optimistic about any deal with Canada.
Mexico’s President-Elect Lopez Obrador (AMLO) has changed the trade dynamic internally within NAFTA for two reasons: #1) because the agriculture sector is much more critical to Mexico than it is to Canada; and #2) AMLO acknowledges and accepts the NAFTA fatal flaw; his manufacturing economy is based on the assembly of imported parts – like Canada, Mexico doesn’t actually manufacture much (ex. no aluminum smelters).

[Pompeo congratulating AMLO – Not an accidental delegation]

In the big picture AMLO wants to advance the Mexican manufacturing base; expand the aggregate economic base; and also stop the corporate exploitation of the Mexican farm worker. In these objectives U.S. President Trump is more than willing to be a partner with President Lopez Obrador. Heck, President Trump would actually love to assist AMLO on that agenda; it is mutually beneficial.
Diametrically, in Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has doubled-down on the retention of the fatal flaw and does not want an expanded domestic manufacturing base. The enviro-nuts of his base just will not support it. Therefore, Canada is loggerheads with the United States because Canada is demanding to retain their NAFTA access to the U.S. market, and simultaneously retain their ability to broker imported Chinese goods.
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MAGAnomic Trade Policy Interacting With Financial Systems – Multinational Wall Street vs Main Street U.S.A…

Originally outlined a year ago. Reposted by request, because we are watching it play out in real time: Believe me, at the heart of the professional/political opposition the issue is the money; there are trillions at stake.

President Trump’s MAGAnomic trade and foreign policy agenda is jaw-dropping in scale, scope and consequence. There are multiple simultaneous aspects to each policy objective; they have been outlined for a long time even before the election victory in November ’16.
If you get too far into the weeds the larger picture can be lost. CTH objective is to continue pointing focus toward the larger horizon, and then at specific inflection points to dive into the topic and explain how each moment is connected to the larger strategy.

Today we repost an earlier dive into how MAGAnomic policy interacts with multinational Wall Street, the stock market, the U.S. financial system and perhaps your personal financial value. Again, reference and source material is included at the end of the outline.
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Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross Discusses Objectives of New EU Trade Deal…

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross appears on Mornings with Maria to discuss the objectives of the new trade negotiations between the U.S. and the European Union.
Yesterday, President Trump and EU President Jean Claude Juncker announced the parameters of the agreement and the intent to reach a comprehensive agreement between the U.S. and the EU.  Secretary Wilbur Ross fills in some of the details:


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The U.S. trade team has assigned geographic responsibilities. There is overlap, and a great deal of synergy depending on the deal being negotiated; however, each member has a specific region of SME responsibility: ♦U.S.T.R Ambassador Robert Lighthizer has NAFTA; ♦National Economic Council Chairman Larry Kudlow and White House Manufacturing Policy Director Peter Navarro have China; ♦Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has the EU (and all others). As a consequence it makes sense that Secretary Ross would be the point-person discussing the outlines of the U.S./E.U. trade agreement.
An agreement with the EU puts pressure on Mexico to quickly participate in a similar agreement. This domino effect puts significant pressure on the Chinese to agree to terms of free, fair, open and reciprocal trade. Last night Secretary Ross appeared on Lou Dobbs for discussion. That interview is below:
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President Trump Participates in Iowa Workforce Development Initiative Roundtable – Livestream…

President Trump headed to Iowa today for a MAGAnomic business review and workforce development and policy discussion for U.S. workers.  President Trump and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross participate in a workforce development roundtable:
UPDATE: Video Added


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30 Hours at Trump-Speed…

Daughnworks247 encapsulates a media cycle at Trump-Speed:  In the last 30 hours:


1. President Trump dropped a MOAB on the state of Georgia for Brian Kemp, and wiped the floor with the establishment GOPe, winning by 39 points.
2. President Travels to Kansas City, giving the speech which made us all cry, to the VFW. Embraces a 94 year old Sergeant and we immediately fall in love.
3. Our sheer perfection of a FLOTUS stops in Nashville at a children’s hospital. On the way back CNN reporter asks Stephanie Grisham about the Cohen tapes and tries to take a hit on Melania. Stephanie Grisham came UNDONE and wiped the floor with the little witch.
4. VP Pence in Montana, stops what he is doing, leaves his Secret Service, when a boy waiting to see him on the tarmac passes out. VP Pence was “up and in the middle” of the problem. Good man.
5. CRTV does a parody video about Alexandria Cortez and the left reveals —- they have no sense of humor.  Busted.
6. President Trump meets with John-Claude Juncker, President of the EU Commission and makes the deal of a lifetime on tariffs, LNG sales to Europe, and soybeans for the Midwest.
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Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross Discusses Principles of U.S. / EU Trade Agreement…

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross appears on Fox News with Barf Baier to discuss the outlines of the trade agreement between the U.S. and E.U.
While there is overlap and a great deal of synergy depending on the deal being negotiated, within the central U.S. trade team each member has a specific region of responsibility to focus upon: ♦U.S.T.R Ambassador Robert Lighthizer has NAFTA; ♦National Economic Council Chairman Larry Kudlow and White House Manufacturing Policy Director Peter Navarro have China; ♦Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has the EU.
So it makes sense that Secretary Ross would be the point-person discussing the outlines of the U.S./E.U. trade agreement.


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Unscheduled: President Trump and EU President Juncker Joint Press Statement – 4:00pm EST…

The White House has announced an unanticipated joint press statement/availability between President Trump and EU President Jean Claude Juncker to be held at approximately 4:00pm EST in the Rose Garden.
Apparently the EU has agreed to President Trump’s terms on lowering industrial tariffs to enhance U.S. trade opportunities; lower non-tariff barriers to increase agricultural trade, and committed to increased import of LNG (liquid natural gas) to offset Russian energy dependence.  THIS is a developing story….
UPDATE: Video Added


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Judiciary and Oversight Leaders Meeting With DOJ Officials Seeking Documents After Lisa Page Deposition…

Former DOJ lawyer, and special counsel assigned to former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, Lisa Page, testified before congress on her knowledge of the issues and details surrounding the Trump investigation known as “spygate”.  As a result of that testimony, House Oversight and Judiciary Committee members are now seeking additional documents from the DOJ.
It is likely the documents relate to the State Department’s involvement in the overall counterintelligence investigation;, as well as McCabe’s role in coordinating the activity by FBI agent Peter Strzok.


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It is worth noting that Andrew McCabe originally contradicted Lisa Page about the media leaks he was coordinating. It was Lisa Page presenting evidence to support her version of events that led to the Page/Strzok text messages being delivered to IG and INSD investigators.
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CNN Obtains Trump Cohen Recording From Lanny Davis…

This is funny…. this is actually very funny to anyone who knows Trump lingo.
Lanny is hung up on the wording “cash” from POTUS Trump and tries to spin it a particular way.  Despite what some may say, there is a possibility Lanny is not being intentionally malicious.  What Lanny is missing is the context of “cash” in relation to the question Donald Trump asks moments prior about “financing”.
Trump asks the question about “financing” from his business dealing position where “financing” equals “loans”; and he responds to Michael Cohen from the same perspective where “cash” equals “money-on-hand”, ie. not a loan.  [‘what financing? we have cash’]
Listen:


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Here’s where Lanny might be intentionally malicious.  Notice how the recording is abruptly edited to cut off right when Trump starts the sentence with the word “check”.  If the entire recording were to be released it would be a conversation like: “what financing? we have cash, use cash, just write a check”…  An ordinary transactional nothingburger.
This is silly.  Go listen again.
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