Canada Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland to resume NAFTA talks tomorrow
Washington/Ottawa, Sept 18 (IBNS): Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland will resume the talks to sign a renewed North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in Washington, the capital city of the United States, on Wednesday, media reports said.
The talks will resume to make a deal ahead of Sept 30, a deadline which was triggered by US President Donald Trump.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Freeland said as she has been quoted by CTV News, "This is a very intensive phase of the negotiations."
"A lot of people are engaged in this effort and we’re talking a lot on the phone and by e-mail but there are some conversations that it’s better to have face to face. I think it’s absolutely the right thing for us to meet."
In early September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had cleared that the Liberals won't compromise on culture and dispute resolution during the talks over NAFTA.
Trudeau said Canada won't sign a new deal if it does not include a dispute resolution mechanism and exemptions from cultural industries.
However, meetings were held between Freeland and the US officials to sign a deal.
NAFTA is an agreement which came into force from January 1994 by Canada, Mexico and United States creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America.
Trump had earlier also alleged that the US faced severe losses in the trade pact with Canada and Mexico.
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