Major U.S. investors keeping eye on Canada as Trudeau pushes trade in Manhattan
NEW YORK — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will work the room at a business luncheon in Manhattan today on the merits of free trade and global economic co-operation, just as word starts to sink in that efforts to conclude NAFTA talks before the end of this week are likely to fail.
Trudeau will spend the second morning of his three-day U.S. tour — his 16th visit to the United States as prime minister — participating in what is billed as an “armchair discussion” on economics and international trade at the Economic Club of New York.
The trip is mainly focused on trade and drumming up investment for Canada, although Trudeau veered off that course Wednesday morning. During a speech at the New York University commencement at Yankee Stadium, the prime minister spoke at length on the merits of diversity and the risks of aggressive nationalism.
Looming over everything is the North American Free Trade Agreement and the expected failure of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico to meet an artificial deadline today, set to try and seal a new deal before the Mexican federal elections this summer or U.S. congressional elections in the fall throw new curveballs at the process.