Marketplace Quotes Stephen Kho on Prospects for “Skinny” NAFTA
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Stephen Kho, an international trade partner at Akin Gump, spoke with American Public Media’s Marketplace for the story “With NAFTA negotiators still far apart, is it time for a ‘Skinny NAFTA’?” Talks to renegotiate the trade agreement have led some to suggest that tackling fewer issues could be more fruitful than trying to strike a deal on a greater number of matters on which the United States, Canada and Mexico may not be able to reach consensus.
Kho said working on fewer issues could, theoretically, mean a faster deal, but he remains skeptical about the prospects of a “skinny” NAFTA. “It may be driven by the pressures of time, but it’s hard to tell how real it is. The U.S. certainly hasn’t said anything in support of it.”
The report, in fact, notes that the Trump administration has stressed the need for a complete overhaul of the agreement.
