Blackberry CEO Weighs In On NAFTA Uncertainty

NAFTA

The recent NAFTA re-negotiations have been on everyone’s mind, including BlackBerry (NYSE:$BB) CEO John Chen.

“If we do it wrong, it could mean higher prices for consumers,” said Chen in an interview with The Street. The talks have been “quite noisy” so far and prices have been “troublesome” according to Chen.

Located in Waterloo, Canada, BlackBerry has a particular interest in how the cross-border trade deal will work out. Increased prices on their products could damage demand and indirectly impact the company’s workforce in Canada.

Recently, President Donald Trump ignored the U.S. business community’s advice and pitched a complete re-negotiation of NAFTA. This has left many speculating on whether the agreement will last or not.

Trump’s demands included a forced re-negotiation every five years and giving the US the lion’s share of automotive manufacturing. The fourth round of talks is due to end Tuesday.

The recent aggressive strategy has left many officials in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico dismayed and uncertain. Among other targets of Trump’s aggressive negotiation tactics were the Canadian dairy and softwood lumber industries.

In an interview with Reuters, Bosco de la Vega, head of Mexico’s National Agricultural Council said, “We’re going to see what the people here are made of,” he told Reuters on the sidelines of the talks. “What I can guarantee you is that Mexico won’t agree to a bad deal.”

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About the author: Dylan is a content writer and editor located in Vancouver, British Columbia. He graduated from the University of Regina with BA degrees in both Journalism and History in 2016. His skills include writing, blogging, editing, and developing content for both print and internet media.