NAFTA negotiators wrap up third round of talks

The third round of the North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiations concluded Wednesday in Ottawa, Canada, and the negotiators say they are making progress, “narrowing the gaps and agreeing to elements of the negotiating text.”    The third round of negotiations for a new North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) among the United States, Canada and Mexico concluded Wednesday in Ottawa, Canada, and the negotiators say they are making progress, “narrowing the gaps and agreeing to elements of the negotiating text.”
   “In particular, meaningful advancements were made in the areas of telecommunications, competition policy, digital trade, good regulatory practices, and customs and trade facilitation. Parties also exchanged initial offers in the area of market access for government procurement,” the U.S., Canadian, and Mexican governments said in a joint statement.
   During this latest round of negotiations, which took place from Sept. 23-27, special focus was placed on advancing the ability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to more efficiently participate in NAFTA, including through cooperative activities, information sharing, and the establishment of a NAFTA Trilateral SME Dialogue.
   Substantive progress was also made on NAFTA’s competition chapter, and negotiators say they expect to conclude this work before the next round scheduled to be held in Washington on Oct. 11-15. Heading the NAFTA renegotiations are Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, Mexican Secretary of the Economy Ildefonso Guajardo, and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. 
   Lighthizer pointed out in his closing remarks of the negotiating round that “six or seven hundred people from our three governments” have taken part in the renegotiation effort.
   “I think it’s important for everyone to realize just how big this is,” he said. “This is hundreds and hundreds of pages of very technical, technical work that covers really almost the entire of all of our economies, in one way or another.”
   Despite the arduousness of the task, three countries chief negotiators said they “remain committed to an accelerated timeline for negotiations.”