The 4th round will be in Washington on Oct 11-15
The 3rd round of Nafta talks are complete and below are some comments from negotiators.
US Lighthizer:
- Welcomes progress made at this point on NAFTA
- small and medium-sized enterprises chapter closed
- significant progress being made in many other areas
- enormous amount of work remains to be done
- NAFTA talks continue an unprecedented pace
- significant progress on digital trade, telecom
- US, Mexico have interest in raising Mexican wages
- Bombardier duties don't affect NAFTA talks
- Negotiations are moving beyond warp speed
Canada's Freeland
- Our trade with US is balanced
- these have been very productive past five days
- working from consolidated text in most areas
- making solid progress on bread-and-butter issues
- our NAFTA timelines are very ambitious
- our priority is to get a win – win – win agreement
- should have mutual access to procurement contracts
- Raised issue of Boeing and Bombardier with Lighthizer
- USTR not handling this issue, have also spoken several times with Sec of Commerce Ross on Boeing issue
- spoke directly about issue with Boeing in New York last week: will be speaking shortly with Wilbur Ross and British counterparts about this issue
Mexico's Guajardo
- Progress achieved on some NAFTA issues
- says normal to have differences in trade talks
- there will be substantial challenges and next around
- fourth round will be complicated because getting down to brass tacks
Overall the comments are staying positive.