Pretty much every country in the world now has an obesity crisis. But no one’s really figured out what to do about it. One of the most avant-garde obesity policy experiments is happening in Chile, where health officials are trying to revolutionize nutrition labeling. Instead of cramming percentages and numbers onto the back of food packages, the Chilean government now requires symbol-based warning labels on the front of food products that contain high levels of salt, sugar, calories, and saturated fat.

Canada, where 26 percent of adults have obesity, has taken notice. It’s now on the cusp of becoming the second high-income country to adopt a similar warning system. Meanwhile, Mexico, which has called overweight, obesity, and diabetes public health emergencies, is also considering following 

Chile’s lead, but these new approaches in Mexico and Canada may never see the light of day if the American trade representatives get their way.

Welcome to the opaque — and somewhat surprising — intersection of obesity and the North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation.

According to a leaked document, US trade representatives are seeking to override national food labeling policies in Mexico, Canada — as well as in the US — through the NAFTA renegotiation.

Specifically, the US is proposing a provision about packaged food and non-alcoholic beverages that suggests that countries involved in the trade deal should not adopt front-of-package symbol warnings that “inappropriately denotes that a hazard exists from consumption of the food or non-alcoholic beverages.” The New York Times first reported on the provision Tuesday

On Wednesday, in a House Ways and Means Committee meeting about America’s trade agenda, the United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, confirmed that he is indeed pursuing this provision, arguing that national food labeling policies are “protectionist.”

But public health researchers and concerned lawmakers like Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Tex) see the provision another way: as a threat to the battle against obesity.

Mexican Peso and Canadian Dollar, Jump on Optimism for NAFTA Deal

The Canadian dollar and the Mexico peso rose on optimism that the U.S. may be softening some of its hard-line stance in the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. A report in the Globe and Mail said that the U.S. dropped demands for the inclusion of 50 percent U.S. content in automobiles, which is seen as the most contentious issue in the talks. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said Wednesday that he remained optimistic Canada would get a good deal in the NAFTA renegotiation. 

With the US dropping a large amount of tariffs against China this week, the US prospected that a 25 percent tariff would be dropped from mexico on import steel and aluminum. This is causing the Canadian dollar to rise to 1.30 and the peso to rise 18.60. NAFTA still has a long way to go, but this is a step in the right direction. 

With this being said, these renegotiation's are causing some volatility between NAFTA and the US. Although, US withdrawal is unlikely, there is always a potential threat of the US looking for its best interest.

NAFTA Metals Tariffs

The recent aluminum and steel tariff plan that President Trump is trying to implement has received some backlash from both sides, in Canada and Mexico. President Trump is trying to negotiate with both countries to avoid a tariff on both steel and aluminum. The tariff would be 10% on aluminum and 25% on steel imports and has many countries outraged about this idea. Trump explains that we have lost 800 billion over the past year because of trade and feels that the tariff would help states that are getting cheated due to the cheap imports of steel and aluminum. States such as Pennsylvania where there is a steel and aluminum workers feel that they are being cheated and are not allowed the opportunity to produce and compete on a level playing field against importing prices. With the massive trade deficits with Canada and Mexico, Trump feels that this will help with the way that jobs have been relocated and may result in a better treatment of American farmers by Canada and encourage Mexico to do more on stopping drug smuggling.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/03/05/trump-new-and-fair-nafta-pact-only-way-to-stop-steel-aluminum-tariffs.html