It's in America's National Interest to Stay in NAFTA

President Trump’s new national security strategy stresses the importance of promoting America’s prosperity and security. It highlights rivalry and competition with China and Russia and underscores the importance of strengthening international alliances where partners shoulder their responsibilities.

Our North American neighbors, Mexico and Canada, should be priority partners under President Donald Trump’s new strategy for enhancing U.S. security and prosperity. Both are willing and effective partners for meeting threats to America’s security. Their law enforcement and intelligence cooperation can expand U.S. security far beyond our borders. Both can bolster America’s ability to compete with China and other economic powers both at home and in global markets, while creating jobs in all three of our continental economies.

By its actions in the next few months, the United States can help achieve the kind of security and prosperity envisioned in the president’s national security strategy, working with America’s two immediate neighbors. Alternatively, the United States can make it a lot harder to achieve either objective. Especially important are the steps the U.S. administration takes regarding North American trade negotiations in early 2018. Millions of jobs and the fight against drug trafficking are on the line.

It is vital to recall that the big winners from a break up of NAFTA are likely to be our international economic competitors, particularly China, which will take advantage of any market openings with Mexico or Canada, and any added costs to U.S. production that could come from a withdrawal from NAFTA. Thus, if handled poorly, the NAFTA talks could violate a central pillar of President Trump’s new national security strategy: the United States could end up less competitive because of the costs of ending NAFTA.

Read the full article on The National Interest...