Canada Better Positioned for NAFTA Talks Than 23 Years Ago

Canada’s Prime Minister during the original North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations says the nation is in a better position now than it was 23 years ago to negotiate the agreement. Former Prime Minister Jean Chretien (John Kray-te-an) served in office between 1993 and 2003. He said back in 1994, Canada had a surplus of $50 billion a year in trade. But now, he says, the U.S. has no surplus. He told Canada's Global News that both sides would benefit in the end even though some sectors will win and others will lose. He also added that Americans have always been difficult to negotiate with for softwood lumber and dairy and that it's not uncommon in such negotiations for agreements to be signed on the last day. The U.S. want's Canada to change its dairy supply management system that the U.S. dairy industry says is harming U.S. producers.