Canada had 75 professional negotiators in Washington for the opening round of talks to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement.
They met in about a dozen different rooms tackling 27 subjects, but supply management was not aong them.
The hot-button issue for Canada was the United States insistence that the disputes-settling Chapter 19 of NAFTA be scrapped.
Canada threatened to walk out of the talks that led to NAFTA and at the last minute won its inclusion.
The
Chapter 19 tribunals allow NAFTA countries to appeal each others'
decisions to impose punitive import duties.
The
panels have regularly ruled in Canada's favour on the long-running
softwood lumber dispute with the United States, and Ottawa sees them
as an indispTensable tool to guard against the U.S. imposing duties
on Canadian goods.
Without
the panels, such disputes would be settled in U.S. courts.
The
talks will resume Sept. 1 to Sept. 5 in Mexico City.
The
Globe and Mail reports that the negotiations are cordial.
