‘I don’t intend to be pushed around’: Quotes from Trump’s point man for NAFTA

WASHINGTON – Canada and other countries reliant on trade with the United States have been watching closely for signals from the incoming administration about its intentions regarding Donald Trump’s promise to renegotiate deals like NAFTA.

Trump’s pick to lead his trade-reform agenda spent hours laying out his vision Wednesday. Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross answered questions during his nomination hearing for commerce secretary in the U.S. Congress.

Some of what he said:

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“NAFTA is logically the first thing for us to deal with. We ought to solidify relationships the best we can in our own territory before we go off to other jurisdictions…. So I think that should be, and hopefully will be if I’m confirmed, a very, very early topic in this administration.”

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“I don’t intend to be pushed around by anyone.”

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“I’m not anti-trade. I’m pro-trade. But I’m pro-sensible trade. Not pro-trade that is to the disadvantage of the American worker and the American manufacturing community… I think we should provide access to our market to those countries who play fair, play by the rules, and give everybody a fair chance to compete. Those who do not, should not get away with it. They should be punished, and severely.”

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“The president has done a wonderful job pre-conditioning the other countries with whom we’ll be negotiating that change is coming…. The (Mexican) peso didn’t go down 35 per cent by accident. Even the Canadian dollar has gotten somewhat weaker — also not an accident…. When you start out with the adverse party understanding that he or she is going to have to make concessions, that’s a pretty good background for any negotiation to begin.”

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On whether he might scrap NAFTA provisions allowing foreign companies to work on public infrastructure projects: “I think all aspects of NAFTA will be put onto the table… That certainly is going to be a topic that would come up. But you don’t have a deal on anything until you have a deal on everything.”

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