Round five of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks are set to begin Friday (11/17/2017) in Mexico City.
However, Politico points out that talks will unofficially begin Wednesday (11/14/2017). Much of the two-day prelude to the official talks are expected to focus on textiles, labor, cross-border trade and intellectual property. There’s little expectation of talks regarding agriculture, at least for the start of the negotiations. The Trump administration must still find a way to address Canada’s dairy supply management system, among other agriculture issues.
The administration is hoping to wrap up the talks by the end of March. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says the negotiations do not have a hard deadline, but says if a resolution is not reached by the end of March, “the political calendar will make it very difficult to complete a deal.”
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.