AFP, Ottawa :
Canada and Mexico got a reprieve in their tough trade relationship with Donald Trump after the US president walked back his threat to jettison the NAFTA continental trade pact Thursday.
After speaking by telephone with his Canadian and Mexican counterparts a day earlier, Trump announced that the North American Free Trade Agreement would instead be renegotiated.
He still left open the possibility of withdrawing from the pact, however, if talks fail.
“We’re going to give renegotiation a good, strong shot,” Trump said Thursday morning from the Oval Office, while adding that “If I’m unable to make a fair deal for the United States, meaning a fair deal for our workers and our companies, I will terminate NAFTA.”
Trump’s unrelenting back-and-forth has kept Washington’s two closest trade partners on edge as they move to revamp one of the world’s biggest trading blocs.
The Republican billionaire had threatened to scrap NAFTA altogether during his presidential campaign, and has kept his partners guessing about his intentions ever since.
While most of his fire has been directed at Mexico, Trump abruptly shifted course this week to pick fights with Ottawa over softwood lumber and dairy products.
US media reported on Wednesday that he was likely to give formal notice of pulling the United States out of NAFTA-and then came the White House announcement that the US would renegotiate the agreement after all.
