Trade negotiators are accusing each other of sabotaging attempts to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) following the latest round of talks.
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland accused the U.S. of pursuing a “winner take all” approach. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said of the talks that the NAFTA trade partners do not seem “willing to make any changes” regarding the trade deficit, a key Trump administration priority.
After a failed round of talks, the renegotiation effort was extended into next year. The next set of negotiations will be held next month in Mexico.
AgCanada reports officials in Mexico and Canada say of some U.S. demands, that the U.S. “knew it would not be able to push them through,” adding that there is a possibility the negotiation effort could collapse.
U.S. negotiators opened a new front with a proposal that Canada dismantles its system of protections for the dairy and poultry sectors, a move that Canada is rejecting.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.