Nanaimo, B.C. | Reuters — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a tough line on NAFTA on Friday, repeating that he could walk away if he was not happy with talks to modernize a pact the U.S. contends needs major changes. “The negotiations are complex and challenging … I’ve said many times, we are not […] Read more

Trudeau talks tough on NAFTA, repeats he could walk away

Trudeau says doesn’t think Trump will pull U.S. out of NAFTA
Ottawa | Reuters –– Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday said he did not think U.S. President Donald Trump would pull out of NAFTA, despite slow progress at negotiations to update the US$1.2 trillion trade pact. Trudeau’s comments were among the most positive made by any Canadian official since talks started last year to […] Read more

U.S. rejects proposals to unblock NAFTA, but will stay in talks
Montreal | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade chief on Monday dismissed Canadian proposals for unblocking NAFTA modernization talks but pledged to stay at the table, easing concerns about a potentially imminent U.S. withdrawal from the trilateral pact. Trump, who described the 1994 pact as a disaster that has drained manufacturing jobs to Mexico, […] Read more

At NAFTA talks, Canada hails jet case as victory for free trade
Montreal | Reuters — Canadian plane maker Bombardier won a major U.S. case on Friday, which government officials said showed the importance of free trade at a time when talks to modernize the NAFTA pact are moving slowly. A U.S. tribunal unexpectedly dismissed a complaint by Boeing against alleged dumping by Bombardier in the case […] Read more

U.S. anti-trade agenda could benefit Canadian ag
Winnipeg | CNS Canada — As U.S. President Donald Trump follows his “America first” policy and pulls out of trade deals, it could spell future opportunity for the Canadian agricultural industry, according to Dermot Hayes, a professor with the department of economics at Iowa State University. “In D.C. it’s chaotic. It’s the craziest situation I’ve […] Read more

Canada unveils ideas to save NAFTA
Montreal | Reuters — Canadian negotiators at the NAFTA talks on Wednesday unveiled ideas to address contentious U.S. demands for revamping the 1994 pact while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged top U.S. executives to back free trade. The sixth and penultimate round of negotiations to update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) opened in […] Read more

Trudeau to boost support for NAFTA in U.S. as talks intensify
Ottawa | Reuters –– Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will visit three major U.S. cities next month to bolster support for NAFTA as negotiators revising the trade pact tackle major differences, officials said on Friday. The timing of Trudeau’s Feb. 7-10 trip is significant, since it comes after a sixth and penultimate round of talks […] Read more

Montreal round of NAFTA talks extended to Jan. 29
Mexico City | Reuters — The upcoming round of talks in Montreal to update the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will be extended by one day and will now conclude Jan. 29, Canadian and Mexican sources told Reuters on Thursday. Trade negotiators from the U.S., Canada and Mexico were originally scheduled to meet from […] Read more

Canada welcomes Trump suggestion of NAFTA deadline extension
London, Ont. | Reuters — Canada welcomes the suggestion by U.S. President Donald Trump that the deadline for concluding talks to modernize NAFTA could be extended beyond the end of March, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters on Friday. Trump told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday that “a lot of things are hard to […] Read more

Canada talks tough on trade as NAFTA talks’ endgame nears
London, Ont. | Reuters — Canada is talking tough with the U.S., stressing its determination to push back against what it says are unfair trade practices ahead of crucial talks to revamp the tri-nation North American Free Trade Agreement. U.S., Canadian and Mexican officials meet this month for the sixth and penultimate round of talks […] Read more