NAFTA & Trump: Best Quotes

The best quotes of the year relating to Donald Trump’s NAFTA threats.

BY LATINVEX STAFF

Since so many of the quotes this past year have related to President Donald Trump and his threats against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), we have divided quotes of the year into two categories. Below are the best related to the former. For the best quotes on Latin American business, click here.

“There’s something disturbing about the U.S. picking a fight with two of its biggest (export) markets."
Canadian trade lawyer John Weekes, about the Trump Administration's efforts to end NAFTA, as quoted by Forbes, November 2, 2017.

"A trade war triggered by President Trump would be an act of pure economic aggression, unjustified either by the United States' economic and political interests or by Mexico's behavior. It would be the economic equivalent of Russia's seizure of the Crimea, a raw exercise in bullying."
Robert J Samuelsen, Investor's Business Daily, Feb. 1, 2017.

"The level of uncertainty and anxiety related to Mexico’s future economic performance has not been this bad in over 20 years."
Sam Pollock, CEO of Canadian asset manager Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, as quoted by Bloomberg, Feb 1, 2017.

“In terms of the automotive sector, the United States´ proposal is insane. You cannot counter-propose such madness.”
A Mexican auto industry representative with knowledge of the NAFTA talks, as quoted by Reuters, November 20, 2017.

"You know I was really ready and psyched to terminate NAFTA."
Donald Trump to Reuters, April 27, 2017.

"Does Trump know that Mexican tariffs on U.S. goods are close to zero?"
Editorial in The Wall Street Journal, April 27, 2017.

"It seems like he’s sitting at a poker table bluffing rather than making serious decisions."
Mexican Senator Armando Ríos Piter on Donald Trump, as quoted by The New York Times, April 27, 2017.

"We're going to make some very big changes or we're going to get rid of NAFTA once and for all." 
Donald Trump in a speech at tool-maker Snap-on's headquarters in Wisconsin, as quoted by the Detroit Free Press, April 19, 2017. 

“We need to view Mexico as an economic ally, not as a thief of American jobs."
Jon Barela, CEO of the Borderplex Alliance, as quoted by Bloomberg, March 2, 2017.

"The idea of trade wars has been proven to be really bad."
Tony Smurfit, CEO of Smurfit Kapp, on US threats of a border tax against Mexico, as quoted by the Independent (Ireland), Feb. 9, 2017.

"Withdrawing from NAFTA would be devastating for the workers, businesses and economies of our three countries."
Tom Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, quoted by Canadian Press, Feb.7, 2017. 

"Attacking Free Trade Is Great Politics and Bad Economics."
Roger Lowenstein, author of Buffett: The Making of An American Capitalist, in Fortune, Jan. 23, 2017.