Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland is welcoming U.S. President Donald Trump’s newfound patience on NAFTA renegotiations.
In an interview Thursday with the Wall Street Journal, the president indicated he’s open to extending the March deadline for concluding talks aimed at modernizing the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Trump noted the difficulty of trying to wrap negotiations before the Mexican presidential election in July.
Freeland says extending the deadline is a “sensible” and “constructive” suggestion.
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She notes that Canada has always taken the position that it’s not helpful to impose artificial deadlines on the talks.
She says Canada is prepared to spend as much time as it takes to get a good deal.