By Isaac Cohen*
The White House announced, on November 15, that President Donald Trump during his trip to Asia “secured new projects and deals,” in the following countries. In China “trade and investment deals potentially worth US$250 billion.” In South Korea “64 new projects that will invest more than $17 billion in the United States over the next four years, as well as plans to purchase $58 billion in United States goods and services, including $23 billion in energy purchases.” In Vietnam “$12 billion in commercial agreements.” These agreements amount in all to $337 billion and some of them will take some time to be executed. For instance, the agreements with South Korea are scheduled to be executed “in the next four years.” https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/11/15/president-donald-j-trumps-visit-asia-advanced-america-first-priorities
By contrast, the relationship with Canada and Mexico, the first and third US trading partners, is under renegotiation. However, to appreciate what is at stake, the amount of transactions between the United States with Canada and Mexico, under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), exceeds by far the amount of the recent agreements accomplished in Asia. The $337 billion in Asian agreements, to be executed throughout several years, are equivalent to the amount of goods the United States bought and sold to Canada and Mexico in three months of last year. In 2016, the United States Trade Representative revealed total trade in goods, imports and exports, between the United States with Canada and Mexico exceeded $1 trillion, or $3 billion per day (USTRAnnualReport2017).
*International analyst and consultant. Commentator on economic and financial issues for CNN en Español TV and radio, UNIVISION, TELEMUNDO and other media. Former Director, UNECLAC Washington.
