• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Iran strikes 85 U.S. military sites in the Gulf, sparking a global selloff in stocks and a spike in the price of oil

2

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it

3

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI

1

Iran strikes 85 U.S. military sites in the Gulf, sparking a global selloff in stocks and a spike in the price of oil

2

Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it

3

Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
Leadership

Trump Is Now Preparing Executive Orders to Review All 14 U.S. Trade Deals

By
Reuters
Reuters
and
Michelle Toh
Michelle Toh
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Reuters
Reuters
and
Michelle Toh
Michelle Toh
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 24, 2017, 4:14 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The Trump administration is preparing new executive orders to re-examine all 14 U.S. free trade agreements and review government procurement policies to aid American companies, two administration officials said.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada will top the list of trade deals to be reviewed, which affect 20 countries from the Americas to Asia, the officials told Reuters. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the orders were still being developed.

They said on Wednesday that the trade deal and procurement review orders were among several executive actions that the Trump administration is preparing on trade. The timing of the orders is unclear, but they could start to be rolled out next week, the officials said.

Politico first reported the plan for the two orders, quoting a senior administration official as saying the trade orders would help shift the White House narrative “to a place where the president can really shine.”

The fate of Trump‘s first major legislative effort in Congress, a measure to replace the 2010 Obamacare health law, remains uncertain amid stiff opposition from conservative Republicans. The House of Representatives had to delay a vote on the bill on Thursday due to insufficient support for the legislation.

The orders to review existing trade deals and public procurement policies would be largely symbolic, as the administration has already announced its intention to renegotiate NAFTA, with plans to formally notify Congress of its intention to launch talks in the coming weeks.

Early last month, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said, “We’re going to re-examine all the current trade deals, figure out if we can improve them.”

The U.S. bilateral and multilateral trade deals cover these countries: Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Peru, Singapore and South Korea.

Media representatives for the White House and the U.S. Trade Representatives’ office declined to comment on any forthcoming executive orders.

Senator Orrin Hatch, the Utah Republican who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said he would welcome orders to review trade deals if that means it accelerated negotiations on changing them.

“I think we’ve got to start moving,” Hatch told reporters on Wednesday. “If he wants to do these unilaterally or bilaterally, he’s got to get going on them.”

Trump‘s trade officials, including White House adviser Peter Navarro, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, have long said that NAFTA’s rules-of-origin provisions need to be tightened to exclude more components from outside the trading bloc. NAFTA requires cars and trucks to have only 62.5% North American content, providing significant opportunities for Asian manufacturers to provide parts.

The procurement review would be in line with Trump‘s “Buy American, Hire American” campaign push and could win some allies among Democrats in Congress. These include Senators Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, who urged the White House in a recent letter to exclude U.S. government contracts from NAFTA and restrict waivers that allow more foreign companies to bid on public procurements.

But news of the potential trade orders did not impress Republican Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts of Kansas.

“I’m more interested in getting our trade representative passed on the Senate floor,” Roberts told reporters, referring to Robert Lighthizer, Trump‘s choice for U.S. trade representative, whose nomination has been stalled in the Senate.

Roberts also said he wanted to impress upon the White House the importance of trade deals to boost agricultural exports, including a glut of Kansas wheat, amid what he views as a preoccupation with manufactured exports in the administration.

About the Authors
By Reuters
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By Michelle Toh
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

a man having chair still by the window in the office
EconomyLabor
Labor force participation falls to 61.5%, the lowest in 50 years outside COVID, and economists say it’s not just people giving up
By Catherina GioinoJuly 8, 2026
6 hours ago
The Best Rowing Machines (2026): Trainer Tested and Approved
HealthDietary Supplements
The Best Rowing Machines (2026): Trainer Tested and Approved
By Christina SnyderJuly 8, 2026
8 hours ago
‘Even shaving one minute off an EMT trip for severe cases can generate huge economic benefits.’ Well, New York’s congestion pricing did just that
North AmericaNew York City
‘Even shaving one minute off an EMT trip for severe cases can generate huge economic benefits.’ Well, New York’s congestion pricing did just that
By Catherina GioinoJuly 8, 2026
9 hours ago
Cathie Wood just bought the SpaceX dip again—and dumped Alibaba to do it
InvestingCathie Wood
Cathie Wood just bought the SpaceX dip again—and dumped Alibaba to do it
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 8, 2026
9 hours ago
How Qualcomm’s CIO is placing big bets on AI to support the chip company’s diversification push
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
How Qualcomm’s CIO is placing big bets on AI to support the chip company’s diversification push
By John KellJuly 8, 2026
9 hours ago
Andrew Forrest, chairman of Fortescue Metals Group Ltd., during a panel session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, China, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
C-SuiteLeadership
Mining CEO worth $24 billion nearly drowned and had to break his own leg in a freak hiking accident—he used the recovery time to go back to school
By Eleanor PringleJuly 8, 2026
12 hours ago

Most Popular

Iran strikes 85 U.S. military sites in the Gulf, sparking a global selloff in stocks and a spike in the price of oil
Newsletters
Iran strikes 85 U.S. military sites in the Gulf, sparking a global selloff in stocks and a spike in the price of oil
By Jim EdwardsJuly 8, 2026
17 hours ago
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
Success
Ex-PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi worked from midnight until 5 a.m. as a receptionist to pay for her Yale degree—and she says ‘respect went up’ because of it
By Preston ForeJuly 6, 2026
2 days ago
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
AI
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 5, 2026
4 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 8, 2026
15 hours ago
Billionaires John and Laura Arnold have already donated nearly half their wealth. Now they're funding a hunt for the health risks of sports betting
Success
Billionaires John and Laura Arnold have already donated nearly half their wealth. Now they're funding a hunt for the health risks of sports betting
By Sydney LakeJuly 8, 2026
20 hours ago
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
Success
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 3, 2026
6 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.