Canada said an agreement to salvage the trilateral North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is possible by a Friday deadline, but it will be hard work to resolve specific issues as talks with the United States entered a second day, Reuters reported.
After more than a year of talks, Mexico and the United States announced a bilateral deal on Monday, clearing the way for Canada to rejoin talks to update 24-year-old NAFTA which accounts for over $1 trillion in annual trade between the three nations.
US President Donald Trump set a Friday deadline for the three countries to reach an in-principle agreement, and warned he could proceed with a deal with Mexico alone and levy tariffs on Canada if it does not come on board with revised trade terms.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said meeting the Friday deadline is a possibility and Foreign Minister and lead negotiator Chrystia Freeland said she was encouraged by the talks and progress so far.