Free Republic

It was not long ago, that taking guns into Canada, a nation with vast areas of wilderness, was uncomplicated and straightforward for U.S. citizens. There were virtually no restrictions on rifles and shotguns.The Canadian government required a simple seal on handguns to ensure they were not fired in Canada. If the seal were broken when the border was crossed going back into the United States, an explanation was in order. It had to be good. That changed in January of 2001. As more and more restrictions on the ownership of firearms have been pushed by leftists on both sides...

There’s a language fight brewing with the LGBT lobby over the new trilateral agreement, and — what a surprise — it looks like far-left Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is behind it. The Hill reports that a group of 38 GOP lawmakers has sent a letter to President Trump over proposed trade deal language meant to prevent sex discrimination. The problem is that the language equates “sexual orientation and gender identity” (SOGI) with sex. “A trade agreement is no place for the adoption of social policy,” congressmen explained in a the letter dated November 16. “It is especially inappropriate and...

Presser upcoming at 11 this morning. Trump will speak about new USMCA trade deal.

U.S. stock markets surged Monday after President Trump announced the United States and Mexico have reached a preliminary trade agreement, which is part of the Trump administration’s effort to rewrite the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Does this mean the new deal is a “huge” improvement over NAFTA? Not exactly.President Trump has called NAFTA the “worst” trade deal in history, but an analysis of key provisions finds limited improvements, some compromises, and quite a few flaws in this new agreement.The biggest improvement is with respect to digital trade, something missing from the NAFTA agreement established in 1990, when...

Thank you, President Trump! The stock market is soaring, thanks to Trump’s announcement that the U.S. and Mexico have reached a trade deal! CNBC Stocks jumped on Monday as the United States and Mexico closed a new trade deal. Investors also digested reassuring comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on the central bank's policy-tightening path. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 260 points as Caterpillar outperformed. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 1 percent to an all-time high, breaking above 8,000 for the first time, as Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Alphabet rose. The S&P 500 gained 0.8 percent to hit a...

President Donald Trump says the United States is close to a “big Trade Agreement” with Mexico and he’s citing improving ties between the two countries. […] He’s spoken of better relations with America’s neighbor following the rise of Mexican President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The U.S. and Mexico have been discussing a trade deal as part of negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement. The Trump administration is seeking a revised version of that trade deal with Mexico and Canada. …

French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday he viewed talks between US President Donald Trump and EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker as “useful”, but he was “not in favor” of a “vast new trade deal” between the European Union and the United States. “Europe and France never wanted a trade war, and the talks yesterday were therefore useful in as far as they helped scale back any unnecessary tension, and working to bring about an appeasement is useful,” the French leader said after a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Madrid. “But a good trade discussion… can only be...

Live soon: President Trump suddenly announces a press event, likely making a statement about the European Union.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron have discussed a renewed economic partnership to boost growth, jobs and investments in their two countries. […] Trudeau said “we already see the results” of the new trade rules, called the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement Implementation Act (CETA). Canadian imports from France have increased 4 percent last year and Canadian investments in France have jumped 23 percent, he said. …

New Zealand's role in promoting a UN Security Council resolution against Israel may have some economic payoff, a foreign policy analyst says. . . . . ."New Zealand also trades with the Arab states, is about to sign a free trade agreement with the Gulf Co-operation Council. "There's huge profits being made to export lamb and other dairy products, other food products to the Arab states. "If there was to be a big trade payoff, the calculations would be in favour of going with the Arab and the Muslim countries." Meanwhile, a pro-Palestine group urged New Zealand to pull out...

According to a report by the Washington Post the President is preparing to pull the United States out of it's trade deal with South Korea. Since the trade deal went into effect in 2012, U.S. Trade representative Lighthizer said the U.S. "trade deficit in goods with Korea has doubled from $13.2 billion to $27.6 billion, while U.S. goods exports have actually gone down. This is quite different from what the previous Administration sold to the American people when it urged approval of this Agreement. We can and must do better.” Trump was hopeful that negotiates could result in a better...

President Donald J. Trump killed the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) once and for all on Monday, signing an executive order officially withdrawing from the trade deal negotiations. It came as a part of series of three separate executive actions that President Trump took on Monday. “The first is a withdrawal of the United States from the Trans Pacific Partnership,” White House chief of staff Reince Priebus said, explaining the first executive action President Trump was taking in the list of three. The other two were one freezing hiring of all federal employees except in the military, and one that restores...

Article to follow when available

Donald Trump plans new deal for Britain as Theresa May becomes first foreign leader to meet new president since inauguration Donald Trump is planning a new deal for Britain this week as Theresa May becomes the first foreign leader to meet him since the inauguration... The new relationship - which comes with both countries redefining their roles in the world - is due to be cemented with a state visit for Mr Trump in the summer. The US President’s team has made clear he wants a “full Monty” visit that will eclipse the trips of his predecessors in pomp and...

The White House conceded Tuesday that President Obama has lost two of his most important battles, surrendering on a massive free-trade deal and the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Merrick Garland. Responding to President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to withdraw the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership on his first day in office, White House press secretary Josh Earnest acknowledged the chances of the pact being approved by Congress “are not very good.” He called it “a significant missed opportunity for the American people.”

President Barack Obama stands by his comment that Britain would move to the back of the queue when it comes to trade deals with the United States if it left the European Union, the White House said on Friday. "Obviously, the president stands by what he said and I don't have an update of our position," White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters at a briefing. Obama urged Britain to remain in the EU when he visited London in April and warned that a trade agreement between the two countries would not happen anytime soon if Britain left the bloc.

Thousands of demonstrators have turned out in the German city of Hannover to protest a planned U.S.-Europe free trade agreement, a day before President Barack Obama arrives. Police said Saturday that more than 20,000 people gathered for the demonstration. Many in Germany regard the planned Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or TTIP, with suspicion. Protesters Saturday carried placards with slogans such as "Yes We Can - Stop TTIP!"

GOP frontrunner Donald Trump lambasted the permanent political class for supporting the Trans Pacific Partnership free trade deal, in an exclusive interview with Breitbart News ahead of the next debate. 'The deal is insanity,' he said. 'That deal should not be supported and it should not be allowed to happen.' The 5,544-page deal is far too long to be understood, said Trump. 'Nobody understands it,' he said. The 'Obamatrade' deal is longer than Obamacare plus the 2013 amnesty bill, authored by 2016 candidate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)80% and Democratic leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY). 'The deal is so bad because...

Sen. Ted Cruz said Thursday that he doesn’t think that Donald Trump will capture the 2016 GOP presidential nomination and predicted that it is only a matter of time before most of the New York billionaire’s supporters will move into his camp. During an appearance on WABC-AM Radio, host Rita Cosby asked Mr. Cruz whether he would eventually move past Mr. Trump based on his conservative principles, and the Texas Republcian said “I think that’s right.” “In time, I don’t believe Donald is going to be the nominee, and I think in time the lion’s share of his supporters end...

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal is “riddled with problems” and the Obama administration has done “nothing” to resolve the issues. DeLauro added that the trade deal negotiations are being conducted in secret and transparency provisions have failed to make improvements. “There are serious concerns on the substance of the agreement,” she said on a conference call. “The agreement does nothing on currency manipulation and abusive practices costing up to 5 million American jobs.” While TPP presents an opportunity to crack down on currency manipulation, DeLauro said the administration has ignored requests from both parties...