Trudeau optimistic NAFTA can be saved, brushes off Trump threats

Justin Trudeau remains optimistic that Canada, the United States and Mexico can strike a deal to modernize NAFTA that benefits all three countries.

In an interview this week with The Canadian Press, the prime minister said he still believes there’s a good chance negotiations will result in what he calls a “win-win-win”—notwithstanding contradictory signals from the U.S. that have frequently left the impression that the North American Free Trade Agreement is doomed.

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened repeatedly to pull out of the continental trade pact.

But Trudeau effectively dismissed such threats as a negotiating tactic.

“Our approach has been braced for a certain level of negotiations and back and forth but our approach is consistent, that we know that there is a good deal to be had that will benefit Canada and the United States and Mexico and we’re going to stay focused on reaching that in ways that benefit us all,” he said...

“And.. there is a way to move forward that will end up beneficial, more beneficial than any other path —bilaterals or termination or whatever. So I do believe there are good chances that we’re going to end up in a win-win-win for everyone.”...

This has been exceprted from the 17 January 2018 edition of The Canadian Press.