Flake releases nominee hold after securing commitments on NAFTA concerns

U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) on Feb. 1 lifted his parliamentary hold on an administration nominee for a key U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) post after receiving assurances that his anti-protectionist concerns would be addressed in the continuing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations between the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Sen. Flake obtained a written commitment from Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and a guarantee from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to consider what Flake sees as attempts to add seasonal produce trade and regional provisions to NAFTA’s trade fixes. Flake for years has opposed protectionist efforts to restrict cross-border imports.

With these commitments in hand, Flake says Senate consideration on the nomination of Gregory Doud to be USTR’s chief agricultural negotiator will proceed.

“While certainly there are areas in the NAFTA agreement ripe for modernization, adding ill-advised seasonal or regional components to existing trade remedies would lead to needless trade restrictions, devastating economic consequences, and likely retaliation,” Flake said.

Sen. Hatch wrote the Arizona senator in a Jan. 29 letter that he was committed to them jointly finding a solution to Flake’s concerns and to updating the trade pact so that it would “benefit all American producers, services providers, and consumers.” Hatch also noted in the letter the importance of Canada and Mexico to the United States as the nation’s second- and third-largest agricultural export markets, respectively, providing critical off-season agricultural products for American families.

“I will continue to work toward a solution with the administration and Chairman Hatch, as well as utilizing additional procedural tools at my disposal,” said Sen. Flake on Feb. 1.

Lighthizer reportedly plans to meet with Arizona stakeholders who rely on NAFTA and would be negatively impacted by the proposed provision, according to Flake’s office. Arizona is a major U.S. port of entry for fresh produce.