Washington/Mexico City | Reuters — The United States and Mexico are due to release the text of their trade agreement on Friday, increasing pressure on Canada to join its partners in revamping the North American Free Trade Agreement while Mexico’s president-elect said he would insist on a trilateral pact. President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said […] Read more

Mexican president-elect insists on trilateral NAFTA

Canada sticks to plan to stay at NAFTA talks despite Trump attack
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada on Thursday shrugged off U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism that talks to modernize NAFTA were moving too slowly and made clear it had to keep negotiating as long as there was a chance of success. The prospects for a quick deal to update the North American Free Trade Agreement appeared […] Read more

Trump slams Canada over NAFTA, says rejected Trudeau meeting
United Nations | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday blasted Canada over the slow pace of talks over NAFTA, saying he was so unhappy that he had rejected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s request for a one-on-one meeting. The remarks by Trump, who repeated a threat to impose tariffs on Canadian autos, knocked […] Read more

Canada not making concessions needed for NAFTA deal, says U.S.
New York | Reuters — Canada is not making concessions needed to reach a deal with the U.S. for a trilateral NAFTA pact and is running out of time before Washington proceeds with a Mexico-only agreement, a top U.S. official said on Tuesday. The administration of President Donald Trump has recently begun increasing the pressure […] Read more

Informal NAFTA talks seen likely in next few days at U.N.
Montreal | Reuters — U.S. and Canadian officials trying to reach a deal on NAFTA are “very likely” to hold informal talks on the sidelines of a major U.N. meeting in the next few days, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Sunday. With time running out ahead of a U.S.-imposed deadline of the end […] Read more

Mexico says will seek deal with Canada if NAFTA talks fail
Mexico City | Reuters — Mexico’s incoming government will pursue a bilateral deal with Canada if talks to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement falter, Mexican president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday. After more than a year of talks to modernize the NAFTA trade pact between the United States, Mexico and Canada, […] Read more

NAFTA talks grind on with little sign of deal
Washington | Reuters — Canada and the U.S. showed scant sign of being close to striking a deal on revamping the trilateral NAFTA that underpins US$1.2 trillion in annual trade, as Canadian sources played down talk of a U.S. quota on autos. Canada says it does not feel bound by a U.S.-imposed deadline for the […] Read more

Trudeau urges some U.S. flexibility in NAFTA talks
Washington/Ottawa | Reuters — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday he wanted to see flexibility from the U.S. if the two sides are to reach a deal on renewing NAFTA, which Washington insists must be finished by the end of the month. Ottawa is pushing back against increasing pressure by the administration of […] Read more

‘Buyer beware’ on Canada’s cheese concessions, EU exporters say
Toronto/Brussels | Reuters — A trade deal meant to give European cheesemakers more access to the Canadian market is falling short of its promise in its first full year, government data show, frustrating the European industry, which blames a year-old Ottawa quota system. Under the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union, […] Read more

Trudeau says good NAFTA deal wanted soon, hazy on deadline
Saskatoon | Reuters — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday he wanted a good NAFTA deal as soon as possible, but did not answer directly when asked if he agreed with Washington that the end of September was the final deadline for talks. Canada and the U.S. are struggling to settle differences over access […] Read more