The Three Amigos
4-22-2001
^Bush, Fox and Chretien _ the Three Amigos _ work to cement ties<
^By ANDREW SELSKY=
^Associated Press Writer=
QUEBEC (AP) _ Their nations bound together in a free-trade accord, the leaders of the United States, Mexico and Canada are being dubbed "the Three Amigos."
The schmoozing between President Bush, Mexican President Vicente Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien came during the Summit of the Americas, in which 34 heads of state agreed to forge a free-trade accord extending from Argentina to Alaska.
They held their own mini-summit on Sunday afternoon, meeting over lunch to discuss their continental relationship. Before entering the talks, the trio grinned and clasped their six hands together in unity.
Chretien turned to photographers and cracked: "I have to keep these two guys ..."
"Intact," Bush chimed in.
"Strong," concluded Chretien, who dubbed the threesome "the Three Amigos" at a Saturday photo session.
Though the leaders of North America's Big Three got along like old buddies, their nations remain entangled in trade disputes _ seven years after establishment of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. The snarls underscore the momentous task set out at this summit to create a hemisphere-wide trade accord by 2005.
A U.S. lumber industry group is pressing Washington to slap punitive duties on Canadian softwood lumber, arguing that Canada subsidizes its industry. The tiff threatens Canada's $7 billion in annual exports of the product.
The United States has also drawn Canada's ire by banning potatoes from Prince Edward Island because some were infected with a fungus that make them unappealing, although not unhealthy. It's an issue that Chretien has taken personally.
With a hint of mischief, Chretien let on after the summit that Prince Edward Island potatoes were served during meals to the heads of state. There was no immediate word on whether Bush sampled them.
One of the main tangles between Mexico and Washington is a U.S. refusal to allow Mexican trucks full access to U.S. highways because of Mexico's lax truck safety standards.
Despite the bumps in the trilateral trade relationship, the Three Amigos appeared optimistic that it would improve. Bush held up NAFTA as an example that the rest of the Americas and the Caribbean should follow, saying: "The overall benefits have been great for our three countries."
Since NAFTA went into effect, for example, Mexico has moved ahead of Japan as the No. 2 destination for American products, behind Canada. Trade between the United States and Mexico now totals about $200 billion annually.
And there is promise for the future. On Sunday, Bush expressed interest in importing energy from Mexico and Canada, which have large reserves of oil and natural gas. The deals could involve billions of dollars. "If Canadian suppliers and Mexican suppliers of energy and electricity are looking for a market," Bush said, "they found one in the United States."
^Bush, Fox and Chretien _ the Three Amigos _ work to cement ties<
^By ANDREW SELSKY=
^Associated Press Writer=
QUEBEC (AP) _ Their nations bound together in a free-trade accord, the leaders of the United States, Mexico and Canada are being dubbed "the Three Amigos."
The schmoozing between President Bush, Mexican President Vicente Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien came during the Summit of the Americas, in which 34 heads of state agreed to forge a free-trade accord extending from Argentina to Alaska.
They held their own mini-summit on Sunday afternoon, meeting over lunch to discuss their continental relationship. Before entering the talks, the trio grinned and clasped their six hands together in unity.
Chretien turned to photographers and cracked: "I have to keep these two guys ..."
"Intact," Bush chimed in.
"Strong," concluded Chretien, who dubbed the threesome "the Three Amigos" at a Saturday photo session.
Though the leaders of North America's Big Three got along like old buddies, their nations remain entangled in trade disputes _ seven years after establishment of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. The snarls underscore the momentous task set out at this summit to create a hemisphere-wide trade accord by 2005.
A U.S. lumber industry group is pressing Washington to slap punitive duties on Canadian softwood lumber, arguing that Canada subsidizes its industry. The tiff threatens Canada's $7 billion in annual exports of the product.
The United States has also drawn Canada's ire by banning potatoes from Prince Edward Island because some were infected with a fungus that make them unappealing, although not unhealthy. It's an issue that Chretien has taken personally.
With a hint of mischief, Chretien let on after the summit that Prince Edward Island potatoes were served during meals to the heads of state. There was no immediate word on whether Bush sampled them.
One of the main tangles between Mexico and Washington is a U.S. refusal to allow Mexican trucks full access to U.S. highways because of Mexico's lax truck safety standards.
Despite the bumps in the trilateral trade relationship, the Three Amigos appeared optimistic that it would improve. Bush held up NAFTA as an example that the rest of the Americas and the Caribbean should follow, saying: "The overall benefits have been great for our three countries."
Since NAFTA went into effect, for example, Mexico has moved ahead of Japan as the No. 2 destination for American products, behind Canada. Trade between the United States and Mexico now totals about $200 billion annually.
And there is promise for the future. On Sunday, Bush expressed interest in importing energy from Mexico and Canada, which have large reserves of oil and natural gas. The deals could involve billions of dollars. "If Canadian suppliers and Mexican suppliers of energy and electricity are looking for a market," Bush said, "they found one in the United States."
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