How the U.S.’s Stance Towards the WTO May Have Complicated Its NAFTA Negotiations

Recently, the United States has made it clear that it has some reservations regarding the functioning of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Specifically, the U.S. has blocked the appointments to the Appellate Body of the WTO—the organism in charge of resolving international trade disputes brought forth by member states—and has also imposed tariffs on a number of imported products. This, in turn, may have compromised the U.S's ability to negotiate the elimination of Chapter 19 with Canada, which is one of the three dispute resolution provisions contained in NAFTA.