U.S. Turns Up the Heat in Pivotal New Phase of Nafta Talks
- Trump ties talks to Mexico wall as U.S. complains about Canada
- Sixth round of negotiations running until Jan. 29 in Montreal
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Nafta talks are entering a pivotal moment as the U.S. turns up the pressure on Canada and Mexico to radically alter the trade pact in favor of American interests.
In the run-up to the sixth round of talks that are now underway in Montreal, there’s been plenty of saber-rattling and posturing from the three countries. Through it all, a somewhat consistent pattern emerged: U.S. President Donald Trump kept threatening to withdraw from the pact while Canada and Mexico suggested they’d bring fresh thinking to the table to try to resolve some of the touchiest issues. The question now is whether they can move forward fast enough to salvage the deal before electoral politics overwhelm the agenda later this year.