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Finalizing NAFTA by end of this year not likely

The director of congressional relations for American Farm Bureau says it’s probably a reach to believe the renegotiation of NAFTA will be finalized by the end of the year.

Dave Salmonsen tells Brownfield trade officials from the U.S., Canada and Mexico are working hard to come to an agreement using an accelerated schedule.

“So as trade negotiations go along, you hear about progress or a lack of progress.  But all of this is very usual when you’re dealing with 28 chapters in the agreement, some pretty significant ideas out there for change.  It just takes a while to work through them all.”

He says most issues are on the table, but tough negotiations lie ahead.

“There are some more contentious areas where negotiating texts really haven’t really been put out there for discussion yet.  That’s not unusual.  You try to get the progress you can on a lot of things that are probably easier to accomplish because you’ve done them before.”

Salmonsen views dispute settlement, rules of origin in the manufacturing sector, and Canada’s supply management system for dairy and poultry as some of the bigger sticking points.

The third round of NAFTA negotiations concludes Wednesday in Ottawa, Canada.