NAFTA deadline looms, talks reach critical stage
WASHINGTON — Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland is back at the NAFTA table in Washington as today’s deadline looms over the talks to bring Canada back into the North American free-trade fold.
Freeland has been in meetings all week with her American counterpart, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, both of whom met late into the evening Thursday in search of a compromise in time for the deadline imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Freeland says she is looking forward to hearing what Lighthizer has to say today, after a night of reflection.
Among the lingering sticking points, Chapter 19 — the so-called dispute resolution mechanism — remains one of the tallest hurdles.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held a conference call Thursday with premiers to discuss trade-offs, and in a statement said the federal government was committed to winning the best possible terms for Canada.
This week’s new round of U.S.-Canada negotiations had generated hopeful signals from both camps that a deal could be struck by the end of the week — but difficult discussions about dairy and dispute settlement remain.
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