Trade Representatives from Canada, Mexico and the U.S. are in the deepest weeds within NAFTA negotiations, and some of the current proposals are flat out nuts.

Within the auto-sector the “Rules of Origin” continue to be one of the biggest sticking points.  The U.S. position is that 80% or more of a vehicle made in the U.S., Mexico or Canada should be made from parts from the U.S., Mexico or Canada, ie. North America.  Canada and Mexico are trying to argue for lower North American content because they want more Asian/Chinese parts in American automobiles. [Reuters Link]

On its face their position is ridiculous.  Canada and Mexico are not arguing for more Canadian and Mexican content; they are arguing for more Chinese content.  The U.S. is arguing for more North American content.  Canada and Mexico want to support China’s economy; the U.S. wants to support Canada, Mexico and the U.S. economy.   Let that sink in for a moment.

In an effort to enhance their ridiculous position, Canada and Mexico have come up with a proposal that is, well, bananas. Can/Mex want the United States to tax vehicles made in Canada and Mexico.  Stop. Re-read that.  Yes, that is correct.  Canada and Mexico want Chinese parts so badly, they are arguing for the U.S. to tax American (NAFTA) automobiles.

Nuts.

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JOINT STATEMENT – Today, Ambassador Lighthizer and Minister Kim are pleased to announce that the United States and the Republic of Korea have reached an agreement in principle on the general terms of amendments and modifications to the United States-Republic of Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA). The nations have also agreed on terms for a country exemption for the Republic of Korea from tariffs imposed on steel imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 9705, as amended.  The arrangement with respect to steel imports is expected to take effect on May 1, 2018.  (link)

Ever since the original 2012 US-Korea free trade agreement (KORUS) went into effect, the U.S. trade deficit in goods with Korea increased by over 73 percent from $13.2 billion to $22.9 billion (2017), while the overall deficit increased by 70 percent from $6.3 billion to $10.7 billion (2017).  President Trump committed his administration to changing this immediately and renegotiating a deal that benefited the United States.

“The improved KORUS agreement reflects the President’s leadership in delivering more reciprocal trade outcomes benefiting U.S. workers, exporters, and businesses. The United States and Korea have strengthened an important economic relationship by agreeing to substantial improvements to KORUS that will help rebalance our trade, reduce our trade deficit, and expand U.S. export opportunities.”  ~ U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer

Here’s the historic details:

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Sneaky.  CTH anticipated POTUS Trump would withdraw from NAFTA due to the FATAL FLAW that still remains unaddressed in all discussions.  So it came as a surprise to see reports (opaquely cited) that U.S.T.R. Lighthizer was willing to drop the U.S. firm stance on content origination rules within the auto-sector.

Why would the Trump team agree to low thresholds of U.S. auto-parts used in American cars?  It just doesn’t make sense.  Still doesn’t… but no-one’s talking right now; and clarity is impossible to find.  The bigger question remains:  Why haven’t we pulled out yet?

Perhaps the answer to that question lies in the heart of a plan concocted by a small group of conniving GOPe multinational business interests. The tricksters are creating an enticement plan to insert domestic rules on U.S. regulations into a renegotiated NAFTA draft.  The GOPe loves them some NAFTA. The GOPe will scheme to keep NAFTA.

Their current enticement plan is to work around congress, by structuring a NAFTA chapter on “rules of competitiveness”.  If the scheme works as they have outlined, many domestic regulations currently tripping up expanded U.S. business development, specifically shipping/transportation infrastructure (ports/railroads), could be reduced or eliminated by putting rules to override U.S. regulations in a final NAFTA deal.

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It’s well known that Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan doesn’t want to be in an actual leadership position; and it’s also well known -enhanced by the campaign, and victory, of Donald Trump- that Republicans did not want to win the majority position and face having to reveal their true UniParty agenda.

The evidence of this UniParty positioning has been staring the electorate in the face, repeatedly and brutally, since candidate Donald Trump actually campaigned on key tenets of the Republican party and found himself being openly opposed by GOP leadership.

Now, a stunning discovery surfaces of Paul Ryan’s Congressional Leadership SuperPAC, congressionalleadershipfund.org, actually campaigning for the Democrat, Conor Lamb, in the recent PA18 congressional race.

As evidenced by Big League Politics the Paul Ryan SuperPAC sent a mailer to Pennsylvania CD-18 voters touting Lamb’s favorable position on gun ownership rights:

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The special election in Pennsylvania Congressional District 18 is today.  The polls close at 8:00pm EST.  The district political registration heavily favors the Democrat Conor Lamb with a +50,000 advantage in Democrat registered voters.  However, President Trump carried the mostly blue-collar district in 2016, and he supports Republican Rick Saccone.

Generally speaking the Democrat Conor Lamb is favored; and with that outcome in mind the media began using this likely Democrat win to position an anti-Trump narrative.  To counter that narrative President Trump went to PA and campaigned with Rick Saccone.  Both RNC and DNC have spent a lot of money on this temporary district race.

Democrat Conor Lamb is attempting to revive the extinct “blue-dog” model and has refuted Nancy Pelosi along with the far-left-wing of the Democrat party; while emphasizing his strong labor union relationships.  On the Republican side, the district is Pro-Trump on the national economics but candidate Rick Saccone has strongly supported ‘right-to-work’ policies which the local unions do not like.  So it’s a weird election.

Pennsylvania State Election Return Results – HERE

New York Times – Election Results HERE

White House Legislative Affairs Director Marc Short appears on Fox News to discuss the Steel and Aluminum tariffs being implemented by President Trump to protect the U.S. steel and aluminum manufacturing industry.

The Wall Street antagonists together with politicians purchased by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and K-Street lobbyists (working on behalf of Wall Street),  have vowed to fight President Trump’s trade initiatives.   The steel and aluminum tariffs are the first in a series of trade actions by President Trump that he outlined during his candidacy.

Wall Street politicians (globalists) are now engaged in a fight against Main Street economic and trade policy (nationalists). There are trillions at stake. The anger against the President over the steel/aluminum tariffs is nothing in comparison to what lies ahead; with a likely NAFTA withdrawal and other MAGAnomic trade initiatives looming on the horizon.

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Leo Gerard, the President of the United Steelworkers Union, talks to a very frustrated Chuck Todd about the effect of President Trump’s new tariffs and his appreciation therein.

Chuck Todd has all his Media Matters talking points prepared to outline his narrative; however, unfortunately for the toad, he came up against a very knowledgeable union leader with a solid grasp of the details and important specifics.  WATCH:

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As you can see from President Leo Gerard’s comments he well understands the value of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, U.S. Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer and administration trade strategist Peter Navarro. The next phase of MAGAnomic Main Street trade initiatives involves global “trade reciprocity” advancement.

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I always find it amusing that ABC News never publishes the excerpts of interviews (on their YouTube channel) that run counter to their political ideology.   I digress…

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross appears on ABC to talk trade with George Stephanopoulos.  Secretary Ross highlights a key point in the discussion about how post-World-War-II trade tariff policies were intentionally constructed to lift Germany, Japan and economically devastated nations after the war.  This was the origin of the progressive trade association that became the WTO.

[Ross’s segment begins at 38:45 of the video below – prompted, just hit play]

https://youtu.be/MPcrUfw1fwg?t=38m45s

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Senator Joe Manchin appears on Face the Nation and highlights his support for the Trump trade initiatives.  The cross-party MAGAnomic support highlights an aspect to President Trump policy that is unique to this administration. [ DEEP DIVE HERE ]

Within the aggregate MAGAnomic policy of President Trump there are two central components: taxes and trade.  With the ‘tax element’ completed, the administration will likely jettison some of the Wall Street crowd as they focus on the trade issues that specifically benefit Main Street.

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The application of “economic nationalism” as a policy is adverse to the interests of multinational corporations. The multinationals have been purchasing U.S. policy through DC politicians for decades. However, the last 30+ years have seen exceptionally high increases. (read more)

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Earlier today one of the more consequential meetings took place between President Trump and his economic team -vs- the professional UniParty apparatus consisting of multinational corporate-purchased Democrats and Republicans.

The policy discussion isn’t sexy or headline making from the perspective of the U.S. media; however, the resulting outcomes will have more of a bearing on you and your family than any other economic policy conflict in this administration.

On one side we have President Trump and a very focused policy and trade group containing Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Robert Lighthizer. On the other side the corporate UniParty apparatus consisting of U.S. Chamber of Commerce Republicans and Democrats.

An encapsulated view would be Main Street (Trump) -vs- Wall Street (UniParty).

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This is THE battle. This is the “trillions at stake“. Everything else is chaff and countermeasures; a war is being waged around this financial issue. Everything within the current conflict is downstream from the economic argument around these issues.

This is the epicenter of the entire institutional conflict against President Trump. This is why THE SWAMP, through all its various affiliated and indulgent enterprises – including the intelligence apparatus, are waging a battle against the disruption that is President Trump.

It is the money.

Period.

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