Former Mexican president Vicente Fox believes that both the United States and Canada can come out as winners in NAFTA negotiations, but says that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may have to make concessions for a deal to materialize.
“You have to make some concessions and sometimes it hurts, but make sure that you win and it adds up,” Fox, who was in office from 2000 to 2006, told Global News during a visit to Toronto on Thursday.
“When you’re negotiating trade, when you’re negotiating anything in this life, it has to be a win-win for both. Or it has to be, in some cases, a little bit of concession or sacrifice from both.
Canadian and U.S. officials are currently undergoing intense talks to reach a trade deal by Friday’s deadline after President Donald Trump announced earlier in the week that the American government had struck an agreement with Mexico.
Fox thought a tri-lateral agreement would be in the cards for the three nations, but said a different avenue presented itself.
“Of course, I agree with Mexico having done the deal because it’s good for us. It’s good for the United States,” said Fox, who has been an outspoken opponent of Trump.
VIDEO: Vicente Fox blasts ‘crazy, ignorant’ Donald Trump who ‘lies all day’
“But at the very end, what should prevail is this trio. That is so powerful to the future of this region. It is not individually our nations. It’s an agreement that brings cohesiveness to North America, to the three of us,” Fox said.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Thursday the time has come to make decisions on the future of NAFTA.
“Our officials did some work. They prepared some issues for me and Ambassador Lighthizer to take some decisions,” Freeland told reporters Thursday during a pause in the talks.
VIDEO: Vicente Fox urges Justin Trudeau to make concessions to save NAFTA. Alan Carter has more.
“We’re about to go in, continue negotiating and do precisely that.”
This week’s new round of U.S.-Canada negotiations has generated hopeful signals from both camps that a deal could be struck by the end of the week.
Trump added a layer of urgency this week when he issued an ultimatum that Canada would have to join the pact with Mexico or suffer the consequences of punishing tariffs on its auto sector.
VIDEO: Freeland says the countries are not conducting their NAFTA negotiations in public
—With files from Alan Carter and The Canadian Press