Mexico and U.S. trying for Canada’s return to NAFTA talks

#NorthAmericanfree-trade; #IldefonsoGuajardo; #ChrystiaFreeland

Ottawa. Aug 23 (Canadian-Media): Mexican and American negotiators, hoped wrap up their two-way NAFTA talks shortly, said Mexico’s Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo,  and pave the way for Canada to rejoin negotiations, media reports said.

Logo of NAFTA secretariat/Wikipedia

Speaking to reporters in Washington on Wednesday morning, Guajardo reported that a North American free-trade agreement renegotiation deal between all three countries, including Canada was underway opening the door for Canada to rejoin negotiations of the free trade talk.

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland could see the signs of optimism on resolving bilateral issues within the NAFTA framework and said Canada is looking forward to rejoining the trade negotiations.

Canada has been left out of top-level NAFTA talks for months because sources reportedly said that U.S. found Canada harder to deal with than Mexico and didn’t want Canada in the room for now.

But Mexico has publicly insisted it is only interested in a three-way NAFTA deal with Canada.

Freeland declined comment on what the U.S.-Mexico compromise looks like, saying she would leave it to them to eventually elaborate once talks are concluded.

She insisted Canada will have a say before any full NAFTA deal is clinched.

“We will very much have a voice in the finalization of all of this.”

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)​