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Countries Gear Up for NAFTA Negotiations
USAgNet - 08/22/2017

The U.S., Mexico and Canada ended the first round of talks on a new North American Free Trade Agreement saying they're committed to wrapping up the negotiations quickly with a far-reaching deal.

"While a great deal of effort and negotiation will be required in the coming months, Canada, Mexico and the United States are committed to an accelerated and comprehensive negotiation process that will upgrade our agreement and establish 21st century standards to the benefit of our citizens," the countries said in a statement Sunday, after five days of discussions in Washington.

Bloomberg reports that the next round of negotiations is scheduled for Sept. 1-5 in Mexico, with talks moving to Canada in late September and back to the U.S. in October. Additional rounds are being planned "for the remainder of the year," the countries said.

The joint statement reinforces the notion that the three nations are seeking a quick deal before politics overtakes the agenda next year. Mexico will hold a general election next July, while U.S. Congressional mid-terms are scheduled for November 2018.

The opening round got off to a tense start last week, when U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer served notice the U.S. wouldn't accept a modest "tweaking" of a trade deal that President Donald Trump believes has failed Americans. While U.S. trade with its Nafta partners has more than tripled since the agreement took effect in 1994, Trump blames the pact for gutting U.S. manufacturing and sending factory jobs to Mexico.


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