Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday that it would possible to reach agreement on the Nafta deal ahead of the Friday deadline.
Speaking at a press conference in northern Ontario, Trudeau said signing the final deal before Friday was possible but depended on the consequences for his country.
“We recognize that there is a possibility of getting there by Friday, but it is only a possibility, because it will hinge on whether or not there is ultimately a good deal for Canada,” he said.
“No Nafta deal is better than a bad Nafta deal,” he added.
Donald Trump has also expressed positivity on Canada meeting the deadline and agreeing to the new agreement.
“I think Canada very much wants to make the deal,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “It probably won’t be good at all if they don’t,” he added.
Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s foreign minister, said she was optimistic about the deal.
“This is going to be a full-steam-ahead effort. We will … stand up for the Canadian national interest, and for Canadian values, while looking for areas where we can find a compromise.”
The US and Mexico have already planned a new trade deal, with Trump hoping for Canada’s involvement.
“I’ll be terminating the existing deal and going into this deal,” said Trump. “We’ll be starting negotiating with Canada relatively soon. They want to negotiate very badly.”
“One way or the other, we have a deal with Canada. It’ll either be a tariff on cars or it will be a negotiated deal. Frankly, a tariff on cars is a much easier way to go but perhaps the other would be much better for Canada.”
Adam Austen, a spokesman for the Canadian foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, said: “Canada is encouraged by the continued optimism shown by our negotiating partners. Progress between Mexico and the United States is a necessary requirement for any renewed Nafta agreement.”