Negotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) continue this week in Washington, as all sides are trying to wrap up the talks quickly.
Canada’s foreign minister Chrystia Freeland is in Washington this week, meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and others, according to Bloomberg News. However, absent from the table is Mexico’s Economy Minister, who is attending other meetings in Paris.
Time is running out for Mexico and Canada to continue to be exempt from U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs, which the “final exemption” according to the White House is set to expire this Friday. Also, Mexico’s election is set for July first, a hurdle in the talks negotiators have been trying to avoid.
Mexico’s Economy Minister last week predicted there was a 40 percent chance all sides could reach an agreement before the election. The talks remain focused on the automotive sector, though other barriers remain for all sides to reach an agreement.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.