Speaking at the conclusion of talks on Friday, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said, “we’ve made good progress [on trade talks], but there’s still work to be done.”
In a statement released Friday, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer declared “today the President notified the Congress of his intent to sign a trade agreement with Mexico – and Canada, if it is willing – 90 days from now.”
Regarding Canada specifically, Lighthizer said “our officials are continuing to work toward agreement. The USTR team will meet with Minister Freeland and her colleagues Wednesday of next week.”
Although both sides remain optimistic, off-the-record comments from President Trump indicate that the US side is unwilling to compromise, which could further delay the negotiations.
It is reported that the main sticking points in the negotiations are dairy tariffs and Chapter 19 of NAFTA, which allows companies that feel unfairly targeted by tariffs to request an arbitration.