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NAFTA: Talking a Trade Deal to Death

Nov 22, 2017 | 17:48 GMT

Mexican Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal watches U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer during NAFTA negotiations, which have failed to sufficiently progress.
Mexican Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal watches U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer during NAFTA negotiations, which have failed to sufficiently progress.

(ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/Getty Images)

Are NAFTA talks on life-support? That's the question being raised after the fifth round of discussions in Mexico City ended Nov. 21. Following the talks, United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer lamented "the lack of headway" made and that Canada and Mexico were unwilling to "seriously engage on provisions that would lead to a rebalanced agreement." Canada's lead negotiator, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, reiterated the Canadian stance that the United States' proposals were "extreme" ones that Ottawa could "simply not agree to."...

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