Featured Policy Session
Perspectives on U.S. Trade Policy and USMCA
Ken Monahan
Director for International Economic Affairs Policy, National Association of Manufacturers
President Donald Trump signed a draft agreement for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in late 2018, which is intended to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that has been in place since 1994. Congress is required to vote up or down on a USMCA bill, creating additional political considerations in the trilateral trade negotiations. Can the White House and Congress reach an agreement to help get USMCA across the finish line?
In addition to replacing NAFTA, there are policy questions surrounding the current trade dispute between the U.S. and China. With the Trump Administration engaging in an aggressive campaign against China’s trade practices and tariffs on many Chinese products already in place, will these tariffs continue? Also, how are the tariffs affecting manufacturing, jobs, and the residential construction sector?
Monahan will analyze U.S. trade policy and answer these key questions. In addition, he will identify the key decision makers, discuss the current state of play, and determine the possible effects of these changes to long-standing trade policy.