Texas Border Business
Nafta negotiators from the U.S., Canada and Mexico are poised to miss the deadline this week cited by House Speaker Paul Ryan, the latest blown marker for reworking the 24-year-old deal.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo and Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland aren’t scheduled to meet together in person this week, according to three government officials familiar with talks who spoke on condition of anonymity. The trio met at least bilaterally every day last week.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the talks in a phone call Monday — with the White House saying that Trump pushed for a quick deal while Trudeau’s office said they discussed the “possibility” of one. The Trump administration is increasingly preoccupied with its efforts to reach a peace deal with North Korea and avoid a trade war with China. Vice Premier Liu He — who is President Xi Jinping’s top aide for economic matters — will be in Washington this week for talks with the administration on ways to resolve the trade dispute between the two countries.
Read more: Nafta Trio Set to Miss Ryan’s May 17 Target Without Deal
