U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he plans talks soon with the leaders of Canada and Mexico to begin renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement.
“We will be starting negotiations having to do with NAFTA,” Trump said. “We are going to start renegotiating on NAFTA, on immigration and on security at the border.”
READ MORE: Canada, Mexico will also have NAFTA demands if Donald Trump reopens trade deal
The NAFTA trade pact went into force 23 years ago. Trump pledged during his 2016 presidential campaign that if elected he would renegotiate it to provide more favorable terms to the United States.
Canada’s government, eager to sidestep potentially protectionist U.S. policies, said on Friday it was confident that Trump would see that working closely with Canada benefited both nations’ economies.
“We are confident the new Administration will see that Canada’s partnership with the U.S. mutually strengthens our two nations and provides real opportunities to grow our respective economies,” Joseph Pickerill, spokesman for Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, said in a statement.
READ MORE: Canada looks to find common ground with US about NAFTA: Canadian ambassador
Officials working for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have held several meetings with the Trump team, stressing that Canada is the top export destination for 35 U.S. states and that 9 million U.S. jobs depend on trade with Canada.
Separately, Trudeau issued a statement congratulating Trump.
WATCH: Mexico wants to keep free trade with U.S., Canada, seeks pacts elsewhere
“Together, we benefit from robust trade and investment ties, and integrated economies, that support millions of Canadian and American jobs,” he said.
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