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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave his strongest indication yet that he will ratify the Trans Pacific Partnership, as Canada’s free-trade deal with the European Union faces collapse.

The 12-nation Pacific Rim deal was reached during the Canadian election campaign last year, weeks before Trudeau took power, and he has neither formally endorsed nor rejected it as his government consults on the accord. However, he signaled on Tuesday that Canada was unlikely to reject a deal that includes the U.S., Japan and Mexico.

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“It’s difficult to imagine a world where Canada would turn its back on three of its top five trading partners,” Trudeau said at a youth labor summit in Ottawa, where he was interrupted by anti-trade protesters. “We established very clearly during the campaign that we’re a pro-trade party.”