North America: Trade Talks Will Progress, Tepidly

The latest round of North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks concluded Jan. 29 in Montreal with few signs of real progress. Talks will move to a seventh round in February, but with so little progress on the major issues holding up a deal, it looks unlikely that U.S., Mexican and Canadian negotiators will agree on new trade terms anytime soon. Even if the United States makes some small concessions, it's reluctant to concede anything that would clash with the administration's push to reduce trade deficits and to level the playing field for international trade....