Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau raised their trade brinkmanship to a new level Wednesday with each saying they were willing to walk away from the North American Free Trade Agreement if they don91裸聊视频檛 get what they want.

Trudeau started the day by branding Trump a rule breaker to argue in favour of keeping a mechanism to resolve trade disputes, while Trump hours later said Canada had more to lose than the United States if the two countries can91裸聊视频檛 make a deal to preserve the three country NAFTA.

91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 going to be fine for our country,91裸聊视频� Trump said. 91裸聊视频淚t won91裸聊视频檛 be fine for Canada.91裸聊视频�

The bombast of the two leaders contrasted with the insistence of negotiators that the mood inside the room was constructive as talks hit what is being descibred as an intense phase. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland went out of her way to praise her counterpart, U.S. trade czar Robert Lighthizer, saying he was acting with 91裸聊视频済ood faith91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频済ood will.91裸聊视频�

Negotiations, now in their 13th month, are key to determining the economic and trade relationship among the three North American countries, with many workers91裸聊视频� and industries91裸聊视频� prospects hanging in the balance.

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At the same time, Trump needs a win on trade ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in November that will test the president91裸聊视频檚 ability to keep control of Congress.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e not going to accept that we should have to sign a bad deal just because the president wants that,91裸聊视频� Trudeau told Edmonton radio station CHED.

Trudeau offered some of his sharpest criticism of the unpredictable American president, saying that Canada won91裸聊视频檛 give an inch to Trump91裸聊视频檚 desire to scrap NAFTA91裸聊视频檚 Chapter 19 dispute resolution panels. The chapter allows companies to have their differences settled by independent arbiters 91裸聊视频� something Trump views as an infringement of U.S. sovereignty.

91裸聊视频淲e need to keep the Chapter 19 dispute resolution because that ensures that the rules are actually followed. And we know we have a president who doesn91裸聊视频檛 always follow the rules as they91裸聊视频檙e laid out,91裸聊视频� Trudeau said.

Freeland, when asked about the comments, said she didn91裸聊视频檛 want to negotiate in public, but added: 91裸聊视频淚 agree with the prime minister in public all of the time, and in private 99.99 per cent of the time 91裸聊视频� he made some important comments.91裸聊视频�

The U.S. and Mexico reached a side deal last month, leaving Canada to negotiate separately with the U.S.

Trump hinted there might be progress towards a deal with Canada.

91裸聊视频淚 think we91裸聊视频檝e come a long way toward them treating us fairly,91裸聊视频� Trump said.

But other issues have yet to be worked out, including Canada91裸聊视频檚 cultural exemption in NAFTA. Sources familiar with the Canadian bargaining position say the cultural exemption Canada has insisted on preserving since NAFTA talks reopened remains an 11th-hour sticking point.

Part of the disagreement on culture revolves around Canada91裸聊视频檚 decision to allow the broadcast of glitzy American Super Bowl commercials, a decision that irks Lighthizer.

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His annual report on barriers to U.S. trade this year singled out the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission91裸聊视频檚 decision in 2015 to ban the long-time practice of Canadian advertisers inserting their ads into the Super Bowl broadcast over the more popular American ones.

The new rules went into effect in time for the Super Bowl in February 2017.

American networks worried that the CRTC91裸聊视频檚 decision reduced the value of Canadian programming because the amount they pay for Super Bowl rights is determined by how much advertising they can sell in Canada, Lighthizer91裸聊视频檚 report said.

Lighthizer also said American broadcasters operating in border states have complained about Canadian counterparts picking up the U.S. signals and redistributing in Canada without consent. 91裸聊视频淭he United States is exploring avenues to address these concerns,91裸聊视频� Lighthizer wrote.

Canada and the U.S. need to present an agreed-upon text to the U.S. Congress by Oct. 1 in order to join the deal the Trump administration signed with Mexico. Trump is threatening to move ahead on a deal with Mexico that excludes Canada.

The goal of this week91裸聊视频檚 talks is to reach a deal by Dec. 1 so Congress can give its approval to a revised three-country NAFTA before Mexico91裸聊视频檚 new president takes office.

The Canadian Press

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