Shooting war, trade war or inspired leadership? Trump keeps us guessing
I’m sure that President Donald Trump doesn’t want a trade war, and he would abhor a shooting war even more.
But in the coin of political gamesmanship, he does appear more than willing to take the U.S to the brink.
North Korea is on notice from Trump that their saber-rattling won’t be put up with. The president is looking for China to curb North Korea’s militarism and promised that the U.S. can put an end to it if China won’t.
Is Trump crazy like a fox or the alternative?
My most recent impression of Trump’s aggressive posturing comes from a report this morning in Politico that Trump is considering an executive order withdrawing the U.S. from North American Free Trade Agreement.
With the backdrop of tension between the U.S and its neighbor to the south because of the border wall and its neighbor to the north because of a new U.S. tariff for Canadian softwood lumber and Trump’s criticism of Canadian dairy policy, the president believes he can extract better deals with both countries if the U.S. pulls out of the agreement.
I doubt that sentiment is shared by most produce traders and industry association leaders.
Such a move - however long it would take to fully execute - would introduce too much uncertainty to the produce business world. A media report in January said the implementation legislation for NAFTA allows for pre-1994 tariffs to be reintroduced if the U.S. withdraws from the agreement.
That sounds like a recipe for chaos.
Renegotiate NAFTA, but don’t pull out of the agreement now. Keep it in place until new terms - ostensibly more favorable for the U.S. - have been hammered out.
