Trudeau upbeat on trade deal soon
Prime minister says any agreement must be good for Canada
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that the United States, Canada and Mexico could be nearing a deal to rework the North American Free Trade Agreement, reflecting a surge of optimism that a pact may be within reach.
But, speaking at a news conference in Canada, he cautioned that more work must be done and warned that he will walk away from discussions if he thinks the deal doesn’t line up with Canadians’ best interests.
“We recognize that there is a possibility of getting there by Friday, but it is only a possibility, because it will hinge on whether there is ultimately a good deal for Canada,” Trudeau said. “No NAFTA deal is better than a bad NAFTA deal.”
President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that negotiations were going “really well.”
Trudeau and Trump are now jockeying publicly while frantically negotiating in private, as their top trade officials are engaged in continuous meetings in Washington.
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland expressed optimism Wednesday about the talks after a meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. “I continue to be encouraged by the good conversations we are having and the progress we are making,” she said outside Lighthizer’s office.
Freeland arrived in Washington on Tuesday and met that evening with Mexican officials, who briefed her on the preliminary deal Trump announced Monday. The pact would establish new rules for manufacturing, labor and the environment.
“A lot has been accomplished,” she said, pointing out issues that the United States and Mexico have resolved. But, she added, “we have a huge amount of work to do this week.”
Freeland declined to discuss any unresolved issues. She said she and Lighthizer had agreed not to talk to reporters about specific disagreements as they negotiate, saying they preferred “not to negotiate in public.”
Canadian officials were largely excluded from discussions in recent weeks because of Trump’s ongoing feud with Trudeau, which on public view during the Group of Seven summit this summer in Canada.
On Monday, Trump announced that he had reached a trade agreement with Mexico and threatened to use that deal as a replacement for NAFTA, essentially threatening to remove Canada from the arrangement. It’s unclear whether such a move would be permissible under U.S. law, but Canada quickly rushed to the negotiating table.
A number of U.S. lawmakers came to Canada’s defense Tuesday, saying they would not consider approving any changes unless Canada is involved.
Freeland said Canadian leaders are impressed by the progress the United States has made with Mexico, but she wouldn’t commit to fully supporting the broader changes.
Kelly Craft, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, who attended Wednesday’s meeting, said that discussions were very positive. “Everybody is moving forward, and that’s what’s important,” she said.
Canadian and U.S. negotiators have differences to resolve, including disagreements about dairy policy, the process for resolving trade disputes and intellectual property protection rules.
And Canadian officials have insisted that Trump remove tariffs he recently imposed on steel and aluminum imports before they finalize any deal.