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WASHINGTON, D.C. It could be “days or weeks” before Canada is invited back to the NAFTA bargaining table, Mexico’s top trade negotiator said Friday after almost a month of meetings between his country and the United States — with no Canadians in the room.

A source familiar with the negotiations said that Canada will definitely not take part when the talks resume next Wednesday.

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And as Canada waits on the sidelines, even some trilateral issues around an updated free-trade agreement are being discussed and potentially decided by the others, said one close observer of the process.

Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said his country and the U.S. have been making a lot of progress, but would be back in Washington next week for a fourth week of two-way talks.

Though he had earlier suggested the Canadians could well join them at that point, he was more vague Friday about the timing of Canada’s return.