Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Wednesday that she was encouraged by progress made in trade talks in Washington, as negotiators face a Friday deadline set by President Trump.
“We are working extremely hard, extremely intensely and we continue to be optimistic about the progress we can make this week,” Ms. Freeland told reporters after a meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.
Canada is scrambling to join a U.S.-Mexico deal announced Monday to replace the three-way North American Free Trade Agreement.
Mr. Trump set a Friday deadline for Canada to sign on or else the U.S.-Mexico deal would be submitted to Congress as is.
If Canada is out, Mr. Trump threatened to hit Canada with a 25 percent tariff on cars.
Ms. Freeland and her team have been in talks with U.S. and Mexico officials in Washington since Tuesday, including an overnight bargaining session.
“It is very very intense work. I continue to be encouraged by the good conversations we are having and the progress that we are making,” Ms. Freeland said.
The negotiation team will continue to work throughout the afternoon before she meets again with Mr. Lighthizer at 5 p.m., she said.
Canada stayed on the sidelines while the U.S. and Mexico did the hard bargaining to rewrite the 24-year-old NAFTA. But the tentative deal announced Monday lit a fire under Mr. Trudeau’s government.
Ms. Freeland cut short trip to Europe and jetted to Washington after the U.S.-Mexico deal was announced.
The tentative deal sought to end the mass exodus of manufacturing from the U.S., especially with automakers.
It would raise the minimum level of North American components in an automobile to qualify for tariff-free treatment under NAFTA from 62.5 percent to 75 percent.
The agreement also would boost wages for Mexican workers, keep agricultural products tariff-free, increased environmental standards in Mexico and overhauled rules for copywriters and trade dispute resolutions.
The agreement would last 16 years, with an opportunity to review it and adjust the terms after six years.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.