Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer take part in a joint news conference on the closing of the seventh round of NAFTA talks in Mexico City. (Photo: Reuters/Edgard Garrido)

U.S. pushes NAFTA talks pace, warns of political headwinds

Mexico City | Reuters — Mexican and U.S. officials pushed on Monday to speed up NAFTA negotiations, with the U.S. floating the idea of reaching an agreement “in principle” in coming weeks to avoid political headwinds later this year. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, showing impatience at the slow pace of the talks, said Mexico’s […] Read more

(CBSA-asfc.gc.ca)

NAFTA Washington talks said to leave major differences untouched

Washington | Reuters — Talks this week to update the North American Free Trade Agreement made some progress on less-controversial chapters and technical language, but did little to resolve deep differences on autos, dispute settlement and a five-year sunset clause, some participants said on Friday. The “intersessional” round in Washington, which did not include trade […] Read more


(CBSA-asfc.gc.ca)

Canada, Mexico urge quick NAFTA talks to end uncertainty

Washington/Ottawa | Reuters — Top Canadian and Mexican diplomats expressed optimism on Thursday that a NAFTA deal could be reached early next year and cautioned that widespread uncertainty over the future of the three-way trade agreement had slowed business investment. Mexican sources say the plan is to hold seven rounds of talks at three-week intervals, […] Read more



Oxfam urges World Bank to freeze land investments

Global development group Oxfam on Wednesday called on the World Bank to suspend financing for large-scale land acquisitions to ensure that its practices do not encourage foreign land grabs in developing countries. Oxfam urged Jim Yong Kim, the lender’s new president, to announce a six-month moratorium on land investments by the bank at meetings of […] Read more

Food Prices Hit “Dangerous Levels”

Reading Time: 2 minutes World Bank chief Robert Zoellick says global food prices have reached “dangerous levels,” and warns that their impact could complicate fragile political and social conditions in the Middle East and Central Asia. World Bank data released on Feb. 15 showed higher food prices – mainly for wheat, maize, sugars and edible oils – have pushed […] Read more