Trade negotiators are in Montreal for the next round of talks regarding the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
The session could be the last round of significant talks before the Mexican presidential campaigns which lead up to a July first election, making negotiations too difficult, according to the Hagstrom Report. The talks will last until January 29th, when the top U.S., Mexican and Canadian trade officials are scheduled to meet.
The Canadian Press reports the nation will be hosting an “angry” U.S. trade delegation, and many expect contentious issues to be addressed, including agriculture. The talks come as Bloomberg claims the U.S. and Canada agree on 40 percent of the topics being negotiated, and that Mexico may be able to accept terms for vehicles. Mexico claims that trade negotiators are close to completing work on ten of the 30 NAFTA chapters.
Still, the fate of the agreement remains unclear, as the Trump administration has routinely threatened to end the trade pact. President Trump has also said that a new NAFTA will greatly benefit U.S. farmers and ranchers.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.