Some serious challenges remain to be overcome before Canada will ever sign off on a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA).
Canada’s Foreign Minister, Chrystia Freeland, says hardline demands for reforms from the U.S. are the biggest of those challenges. Freeland told the House of Commons foreign affairs committee that Canada will only accept a deal that’s in their nation’s best interests. Talks on modernizing the 1994 NAFTA agreement have slowed, with Canada and Mexico struggling to address some of the proposed changes from the U.S. Freeland says, “serious issues remain, particularly in terms of unconventional U.S. proposals. Canada will only accept an agreement that’s in our best interests and respects Canadian values.”
Canada’s Prime Minister weighed on the discussion last Wednesday, saying Canada “might be better off” not signing an updated NAFTA deal rather than signing a bad one.
A couple of the more contentious proposals from the U.S. include more American content in autos, as well as a sunset clause that would allow any of the three parties to walk away from the deal after five years.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.