Mexico, Canada, US hold third round of NAFTA dialogues

Ottawa, Sep 24 : Representatives from Mexico, Canada and the US began the third round of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)  dialogues here.

Canadian chief negotiator Steve Verhuel on Saturday said he did not expect this round to see any new US proposal to increase American content requirements for autos, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Rules of origin of autos will be "a subject for discussion but we're not expecting to see anything radically new at this point", he added.

Under current rules of origin of NAFTA, vehicles must have at least 62.5 per cent North American content to qualify for duty-free movement between Canada, the US and Mexico.

Concern has been mounting among trade experts that the year-end deadline for the NAFTA will be impossible to meet if negotiators did not start during this round to confront some of the most contentious issues, including the rules of origin of autos.

At the first round of negotiations in Washington last month, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer pronounced that the North American content requirement must be raised and a specific American content requirement must be added, along with a way to verify that content.

Last week, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross slammed the NAFTA for allowing outside countries to provide parts for vehicles that aren't covered by the content requirement.

Canada reportedly believes that resolving American concerns about the exodus of automotive jobs to low-wage Mexico is the key to staving off US President Donald Trump's threat to rip up NAFTA.

A total of seven rounds of discussions are planned for the NAFTA renegotiations, with the first two rounds being held in Washington and Mexico City.