Canada’s NAFTA waiting game goes on

U.S.-Mexico talks reportedly progress

OTTAWA — The hurry-up-andwait uncertainty surrounding Canada’s return to the NAFTA talks is entering a new week as Ottawa’s partners in the trilateral deal push forward with their one-on-one negotiations.

For five weeks, top officials from both the United States and Mexico have logged many hours of face-to-face talks in Washington on the North American Free Trade Agreement. With signs of progress apparent, the high-level American-Mexican meetings stretched through the weekend.

But even with brightening prospects, Ottawa has remained absent from summertime discussions on a continental pact that’s deeply important for the Canadian economy. A timeline for Canada’s return to the table has yet to be mapped out.

The federal government insists it hasn’t been frozen out of the talks, and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said she’s been in regular contact with both her counterparts, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo.

Canadian officials have argued the bilateral period has been necessary for the U.S. and Mexico to sort out tough issues such as rules of origin for autos.

But trade experts say Canada’s omission is — at least in part — a tactic by the U.S. to divide and conquer as it applies extra pressure on Ottawa to accept what could be a less-palatable deal.

Peter Clark, a veteran Ottawabased trade strategist, said the U.S. is letting Canada cool its heels in what he calls a unique approach to negotiations.

“It’s not unusual to have bilateral sessions, but not to this extent,” said Clark, who considers a Lighthizer a good tactician.

“It’s an Ambassador Bob special.”

Derek Burney, a former Canadian ambassador to Washington, agrees that keeping Canada away from the table in recent weeks is part of the U.S. strategy.

“Crude and rude, to be sure. But not necessarily damaging,” Burney wrote in a brief email, adding that Canadian officials “will have to wait and see, while holding our ground without flinching.”

Ohio-based trade lawyer Dan Ujczo said the bilateral U.S.-Mexico talks are necessary because the two countries’ one-on-one issues are more significant at this point in the year-long negotiations — but he added that leaving Canada on the sidelines has an added effect.

“I think it was just a negotiating reality, but there’s no question in my mind that it was designed to impose maximum leverage — as any negotiator would,” said Ujczo, who works for the law firm Dickinson Wright.