Trudeau says Liberals looking for right NAFTA deal despite looming deadline
SASKATOON — The United States and Mexico both ratcheted up the pressure on Canada to sign on to a new NAFTA by month’s end or face exclusion from the continental trade pact — but the warnings Thursday did not appear to faze Justin Trudeau.
The prime minister made it clear that he won’t be rushed into accepting a deal that’s not in Canada’s best interests.
And at the moment, sources say what’s on offer would, in fact, be a bad deal for Canada.
The biggest sticking point is the Chapter 19 dispute resolution mechanism. The U.S. wants to scrap it and allow American courts to judge trade disputes, but Canada is insistent that some form of independent bi-national dispute resolution must be part of the deal.