OTTAWA—As the launch of NAFTA renegotiations looms, the federal government is extending public consultations to find out what Canadians want to see in a new North American Free Trade Agreement.
The consultations were to end July 18 but officials say the government will continue indefinitely to accept responses to its online survey, which asks Canadians to identify their priorities for a renegotiated deal, what elements of NAFTA they want to preserve, what should be improved, and what new issues need to be addressed to modernize the 23-year-old agreement.
The government will also be staging a number of town hall-style meetings to further canvass Canadians’ views on the matter. The town halls are to take place before mid-August, when formal negotiations are expected to begin.
The intensified effort to hear from Canadians comes after the United States on July 17 revealed its wish list for a new NAFTA that will deliver on President Donald Trump’s promise to get a better deal for Americans.
“It is important that we do engage with people so that they can understand the benefits of NAFTA and the benefits of the Canada-U.S. economic relationship,” said Adam Austen, spokesman for Global Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.
