Washington – Joshua Bolten, President & CEO of Business Roundtable, today issued the following statement regarding investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions and other North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) priorities:
 

“The United States, Canada, and Mexico should work together to retain ISDS provisions in NAFTA that ensure fair treatment of investors, and reject any efforts to undermine the positive role of these protections. Eliminating or weakening ISDS would be harmful to U.S. businesses and workers.  

“A modernized NAFTA should strengthen intellectual property rights, promote digital trade in goods and services, and ensure fair competition with foreign state-owned enterprises. It should also secure economic reforms adopted by Mexico and Canada since the agreement was originally signed. Instead of weakening NAFTA by removing ISDS, the Administration should focus on modernization proposals that will strengthen this trade agreement and create more economic opportunities for U.S. businesses and workers.”