Three Amigos Summit: 5 things you should know
The recent Brexit vote and the ongoing, boisterous U.S. election campaign all heighten the importance of the talks between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and U.S. President Barack Obama.

thestar.com
June 27, 2016
By Peter Edwards

There’s renewed urgency to the Three Amigos Summit in Ottawa on Wednesday.

The recent Brexit vote in the U.K. and the ongoing, boisterous American election campaign all heighten the importance of the talks between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and American President Barack Obama.

Here are five things to consider about the summit:

1. Election backdrop

There are only seven months until Obama is replaced by either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump.

Either way, it appears the incoming American government will be considerably more anti-trade and inward looking.

Trump is talking about building walls and new trade barriers and slamming NAFTA as a disaster that should be reworked or shelved altogether.

Trump and Clinton both oppose the new trans-Pacific Partnership deal.

2. Brexit backdrop

The Ottawa summit comes less than a week after Britain voted to leave the European Union, after more than four decades of membership.

Now, there are now concerns that the Brexit vote will delay ratification of the newly negotiated Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Ottawa and the EU. That deal is scheduled to take effect in 2017.

The increased European uncertainty makes securing better trade in North America seem increasingly important, Mexico’s Finance Minister Luis Videgaray said recently.

“One of the important issues, without doubt, is how to give a fresh impulse and greater value to North American integration,” Videgaray.

3. Progressive challenge

Federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna told CTV’s Question Period on Sunday that the summit will send a message that things are still sunny on this side of the pond.

“It’s a great message to the world that we’re working together, we believe in trade, we have progressive governments,” said McKenna.

Nontrade issues such as climate change, refugee policy, public health issues, peacekeeping, ocean management, clean energy management are all up for consideration, as well as a plan to fight heroin production.

4. Lingering issues

Canada wants Mexico to reopen its market to Canadian beef.

Full access to the Mexican beef market has a heightened importance for Canada since the Brexit vote.

While the Canada-EU trade deal (CETA) is promising for Canadian beef suppliers, there are now fears that the Brexit vote will delay its ratification or derail it altogether.

For Mexico, lifting visa requirements for Mexican travellers to Canada is a goal. The Liberals promised during last fall’s election to lift restrictions.

5. What’s not expected

If Amnesty International could set the summit agenda, it would include a discussion on human rights.

Don’t expect that to happen.

Some 27,000 Mexicans are believed to have forcibly “disappeared,” and critics say there has been little investigation.