Canada not making concessions needed for NAFTA deal, US says

NEW YORK: Canada is not making concessions needed to reach a deal with the United States for a trilateral NAFTA pact and is running out of time before Washington proceeds with a Mexico-only agreement, a top US official said.

The administration of President Donald Trump recently began increasing the pressure on Canada, urging it to conclude a deal by Sunday or face exclusion from a revised North American Free Trade Agreement.

A spokesman for Canadian foreign minister Chrystia Freeland brushed off the latest remarks from the US, saying Canada was not interested in focusing on timelines.

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said there was “some distance” between the two sides on issues such as access to Canada’s dairy market and how best to settle trade disputes.

“The fact is, Canada is not making concessions in areas where we think they’re essential,” he said at the Concordia Summit in New York.

“We’re going to go ahead with Mexico,” he said.

“If Canada comes along now, that would be the best. If Canada comes along later, then that’s what will happen.”

He added: “We’re sort of running out of time.”

But Freeland’s spokesman, Adam Austen, said Canada would only sign a good deal.

“Our focus is the substance, not timelines. We will continue to negotiate with a view to getting a deal that is in Canada’s national interest,” he said. — Reuters