Adjunct Professor Matt Gold was part of a panel discussion for the Signature NAFTA Series, titled “Where Are We Now?”, hosted by the Washington International Trade Association.
On Thursday, September 13, 2018, the Washington International Trade Association hosted the tenth, and final event, in the Signature NAFTA Series, titled “Where Are We Now?”. The featured panel discussed the prognosis of the NAFTA renegotiations providing the current status and prospects for the new agreement. The distinguished panelists included Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan, Dr. Laura Dawson, Celeste Drake, and Professor Matt Gold. The panelists examined the challenges and uncertainties facing renegotiation efforts, while delving into the different political and economic factors influencing those with a seat at the negotiating table.
Starting the discussion was Matt Gold, current adjunct professor of law at Fordham University and former Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for North America. Gold introduced the panel topic with a comprehensive background on the U.S trade policy agenda and how deviations from the status quo by the current administration have affected NAFTA’s renegotiation. He noted the withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) impacted renegotiation efforts by eliminating some automatic updates that would have addressed between the three trading partners in the TPP agreement. Some areas included updates to digital commerce and telecommunications rules. He also highlighted particularly contentious elements of renegotiation, such as the sunset clause and the rule of origin requirements for atuos.