Conservative groups urge Lighthizer to leave NAFTA alone
A coalition of conservative and free-market groups on Tuesday urged new U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to reject any efforts to “withdraw from or materially weaken” the North American Free Trade Agreement.
The group said it was alarmed by President Trump’s brief effort last month to start pulling the U.S. out of the agreement, arguing that would be a “catastrophic mistake.”
“In recent weeks, President Trump has threatened to withdraw the United States from NAFTA if renegotiation efforts prove unsuccessful. This would be a catastrophic mistake. Since ratification, NAFTA has been an enormously beneficial, impactful arrangement for American businesses and consumers,” said the coalition in a public letter to Lighthizer Tuesday.
“This said, we acknowledge that NAFTA may need to be modernized to reflect the realities of 21st century industry.”
The signers included the American Legislative Exchange Council, Club for Growth, Competitive Enterprise Institute, FreedomWorks, National Taxpayers Union and R Street Institute.
