Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland returned to the table with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer yesterday. She said the talks were constructive and they’re “making good progress”. She added that “we continue to get a deeper and deeper understanding of the concerns on both sides.” But Freeland declined to comment on how close the two sides were. The negotiation is still work in progress as Freeland’s team have sent the US “a number of issues to work on and they will report back to us in the morning (Thursday), and we will then continue our negotiations.”
Trump continued his bluff as he told reporters that if the talk doesn’t work out, “that’s going to be fine for the country, for our country.” However, “It won’t be fine for Canada”. He also reiterated that the US has a “very strong position” in the negotiation. At the same time, Canada and other countries “have been taking advantage of the United States for many years.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated his firm stance on the Chapter 19 dispute resolution mechanism, that was seen as a “red line” Trump. Trudeau emphasized that “We need to keep the Chapter 19 dispute resolution because that ensures that the rules are actually followed. And we know we have a president who doesn’t always follow the rules as they’re laid out.”
