Reuters U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s office says Canada hasn’t made concessions on agriculture.
U.S. and Canada officials remained apart on key points of contention in talks over a revised North American Free Trade Agreement on Friday, as they gathered for a fourth straight day to meet a White House-imposed deadline.
“We have all had a night to reflect and I am looking forward to hearing what U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has to say this morning,” Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters in a brief statement before entering the offices of the USTR. She and Lighthizer met four times Thursday—including a short, late-night bilateral in which afterward she said she had “a couple of things to say” to her U.S. counterpart before signing off for the evening.
The USTR issued a brief statement Friday saying talks are ongoing, but pointed out “there have been no concessions by Canada on agriculture.” President Trump has repeatedly complained Canadian agricultural policies unfairly limit sales of U.S. dairy products in the Canadian market, and wants wholesale changes that benefit farmers from states like Wisconsin. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has vowed to defend Canada’s system.
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