US lawmakers attending NAFTA talks in Canada’s Montreal expressed optimism about efforts to update the trade pact. They urged negotiators to keep options open about the date of signing the updated agreement.
Officials from the US, Canada and Mexico will complete the sixth out of seven scheduled rounds of negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement. Meanwhile, the toughest proposals from the White House have not been accepted by other members yet. Additional rounds of talks are not ruled out.
Earlier, US president Donald Trump said the termination of the agreement would result in the “best deal” to revamp the 24-year-old trade pact with Canada and Mexico in favor of US interests.
During previous rounds of talks, Mexico and Canada refused to accept the US demand that regional content for autos be raised to 85% from 62.5%, with half of vehicle content coming from the United States.
Canada and Mexico also disagreed with the US push for changes to dispute resolution mechanisms and proposed curbs on Mexican and Canadian agriculture.
