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Industry lobbyists who were informed of the negotiations said that one of the main obstacles was Canada 's desire to lift steel and aluminum prices for M Trump under a new Nafta agreement and to ensure that Canada would not face new tariffs on automobiles. , that Mr. Trump has repeatedly threatened. In exchange, Canada has declared itself open to concessions on access to its dairy product market.
US officials refused to comment on the talks. A Mexican official said all parties were working "intensely" throughout the day. A Canadian official described the negotiations as "constructive".
Although Canada played down the end-of-month deadline, negotiations resumed in earnest over the weekend as the United States and Mexico announced that they would issue the text of their bilateral trade agreement as early as Friday. Mexico wants an agreement signed before December 1, when the new Mexican administration will take power and the Trump administration wants the current Congress, controlled by the Republicans, to decide quickly on the agreement , considering a possible change of control after the November mid-term elections.
As the chronology narrowed, Canadian leaders redoubled their efforts to find common ground. Chrystia Freeland, Canada's foreign affairs minister and her chief trade negotiator, canceled their intention to deliver a speech at the United Nations in New York on Saturday and moved to Ottawa to help guide the negotiations. On Friday night, Ms. Freeland and her team held a conference call with Robert E. Lighthizer, US Trade Representative, and other US negotiators, according to a person familiar with the talks.
Discussions between the United States and Canada stalled as relations between Trump and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau deteriorated. Trump criticized Canada last week at the United Nations General Assembly meeting for mistreating the United States in the area of trade and said he had rejected a meeting with Mr. Trudeau because of Canada's high tariffs. This followed a difficult meeting in June when Trump accused Trudeau of being "dishonest" and threatened last week to tax Canadian auto exports to the United States if he did not agree the American requirements.
As relations deteriorated and the fate of the pact was unresolved, Mr. Trudeau contacted Mr. López Obrador, who said that he would not seek to reopen negotiations with the United States after his entry into the United States. function on December 1st.
Luis Videgaray Caso, Mexican Minister of Foreign Affairs, was also working Friday with the United States and Canada to bring the two countries together, said a Mexican official.
