Progress made in NAFTA talks

MEXICO CITY — The latest round of NAFTA negotiations has wrapped up with the three countries saying they’ve managed to make some progress.

The three lead ministers told a closing news conference in Mexico City that they’re still aiming to get a deal by year’s end.

Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s foreign affairs minister, repeatedly stressed that it’s normal for the major sticking points to remain unresolved at this point in the process.

She said the countries have worked through the easier issues, and have tabled texts, and have had a chance to learn each other’s priorities.

“I want to reiterate: This is Day 20,” Freeland said. “This is an extremely accelerated process. This is Day 20 of an accelerated and extremely comprehensive negotiation . ... We are running fast for (an agreement by) the end of the year.”

U.S. trade czar Robert Lighthizer, who said two dozen chapter texts have been tabled, also thanked his North American neighbours for their best wishes in the wake of a devastating hurricane in Texas and Louisiana.

Lighthizer, who reiterated some of his tough-talk remarks from the opening round, nonetheless struck a less aggressive tone.

“Our work continues at a record pace,” he said.

“By the end of this round, we will have tabled text for over two dozen chapters. These chapters represent a new modern agreement which, once concluded, will support robust economic growth in North America for decades to come.”

The agreements reached so far relate to less-controversial parts of the agreement.

Multiple sources say the countries have not even begun dealing with the more complex elements — and that any attempts to raise a contentious issue have been brushed off by the other parties.

That’s true of Canadian proposals like some labour reforms that have been declared a non-starter by the U.S.

It’s also true of the U.S. desire to secure more dairy sales in Canada. The U.S. tried informally starting the conversation, and sources say Canada pushed it off.

The next round of talks is scheduled to take place in Ottawa Sept. 23-27.

MARCO UGARTE/THE CANADIAN PRESS Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, from left, Mexico’s Secretary of Economy Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal, and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, pose for a group photo at a press conference regarding the second round of...