OTTAWA – The eighth official round of NAFTA renegotiations have been replaced by high-level meetings with the three countries’ trade representatives in D.C. and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he thinks real progress is being made.
Senior government sources tell CTV News that the eighth round of North American Free Trade Agreement talks set for Washington, D.C. have been substituted with ministerial meetings.
Instead of the broader renegotiation rounds, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will host Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and Mexican Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal and their top negotiators.
"We are happy to engage as much as they want, to move forward towards a deal. I believe we are in a moment where we’re moving forward in a significant way," Trudeau said, speaking to reporters in Quebec City on Thursday.
"Hopefully there will be some good news coming, but we know these negotiations there's good moments and there’s slower moments, but right now we’re having a very productive moment of engaging with the United States and with Mexico," Trudeau said, adding that he is pleased with the work Freeland has been doing on this file.
Freeland is travelling to D.C. on Thursday, for the talks and is scheduled to meet with her U.S. counterpart Friday.
The three countries have been engaged in talks to renegotiate the trilateral trade agreement for eight months.
