Canada, Mexico talked before making separate NAFTA overtures to Trump
WASHINGTON — Canada and Mexico reached out to each other while preparing similar public messages last week about being willing to engage U.S. president-elect Donald Trump in discussing amendments to the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Sources say the two governments spoke by phone before Canada made its sudden announcement about NAFTA the day after the U.S. election — comments later followed by a similar statement from Mexico.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto also spoke later in the week, after representatives of their respective governments kept each other abreast of their intentions.
“I had a nice conversation a number of days ago with President Pena Nieto,” Trudeau confirmed during a news conference Wednesday. “Our citizens expect us to work constructively together to advance our interests and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”