Welcome to iPolitics’ NAFTA Notebook where we try to keep you up to speed on the latest happenings in Montreal. Tips, tidbits, restaurant suggestions, etc. can be sent to [email protected]

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6 p.m. EST: It’s been a busy afternoon here in Montreal. Lots of stakeholder activities and some developments on the trade file outside of Montreal.

Bombardier Inc. has won a resounding victory south of the border after the U.S. International Trade Commission voted unanimously against a petition filed by Boeing Co., therefore eliminating a nearly 300 per cent in duties on the Quebec companies C Series commercial jet.

It caused a bit of a buzz here in Montreal. You can find full details here.

Meanwhile, Canadian and Mexican farmers joined their American counterparts this afternoon in calling for NAFTA negotiators to do no harm while urging officials to ensure that the trade pact survives. Canada, Mexico and the United States’ agriculture industries are highly integrated.

It looks like things are wrapping up here in Montreal for the day, pending any surprise developments.

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1:21 p.m EST: The National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Perry Bellegarde has written a column in The Toronto Star arguing the Canadian government’s demand that Indigenous rights be included in a renegotiated NAFTA agreement is not part of a “social agenda.”

“You cannot trade what is not yours, ” Bellegarde writes.

“This new chapter is aligned with Canada’s legal obligations to First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples as enshrined in the Constitution. It would also respect the treaties that cover this country and acknowledge our rights, including Aboriginal title. It must be included in all international trade and international investment agreements.”

Bellegarde was in Montreal earlier this week when the Indigenous chapter was been discussed. You can read his full column here.

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1:09 p.m. EST: The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is scattering ‘Missing Person’ signs around town asking whether folks have seen the Gregg Doud, the nominee for U.S. Chief agriculture negotiator. The poster urges folks to call Senator Jeff Flake.

POLITICO’s Morning Trade team reported this fall that Flake had put a hold on Doud’s confirmation because of concerns surrounding a U.S. demand on seasonal produce put forward during the NAFTA renegotiation that is designed to protect American growers from Mexican imports. The produce demand is considered a non-starter by Mexico.

Flake and others think the demand will increase produce costs for American consumers and limit the selection of fruit and vegetables available. The Senator, who is not seeking re-election in 2018, wants the proposal withdrawn.

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12:44 p.m. EST: A group of American farmers and a former U.S. chief agriculture negotiator are pushing negotiators to finalize a new NAFTA agreement as quickly as possible.

American farmers depend on free trade, Farmers for Free Trade members said during a press conference at the Marriott Chateau Champlain. Canada and Mexico are the sector’s largest trading partners. If NAFTA fails, they said, farmers bottom lines will be hit – a time when commodity prices and farm revenues are already on the decline.

Former U.S. Chief Agriculture Negotiator Darci Vetter, who worked on the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations, said if the negotiations go beyond the March deadline, political events (like the Mexican election, U.S. mid-terms and the set-up of the new Mexican election) will push the negotiations into 2019 – unless the administration pulls the plug.

She also said what ever progress is made this round will depend on what U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who arrives in Montreal on Monday and has final say over the American position.

Agriculture is traditionally one of the most sensitive areas to negotiate in a trade agreement and often one of the last files to close.

On phytosanitary and sanitary, an area that deals with things like animal and plant health as well as food safety, Vetter said the hope is the NAFTA chapter will look similar to the SPS chapter negotiated in the TPP.

That text included commitments to improved transparency, quicker response times to shipments etc. flagged by border officials and created a more efficient dispute resolution mechanism. (Farmers say it’s a step up from current World Trade Organization rules.)

Canada and Mexico’s chief negotiators have said this week the SPS chapter is one of the sections that could close during this week’s talks.

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10:25 a.m. EST: Reporters have wrapped up a series of media scrums with Canadian and American business officials as well as Quebec Chief NAFTA negotiator Raymond Bachand and Canadian Chamber of Commerce President Hon. Perrin Beatty.

The outcome of the sixth round of NAFTA talks will largely depend on what U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer thinks of the work that’s been done this week, Quebec’s chief negotiator said. “We’re going to see Monday how it goes.”

“I think we have to wait for Ambassador Lighthizer to be here because obviously the U.S. negotiators need a mandate. And these were new ideas so they have to caucus together,” Bachand told reporters.

Several business leaders questioned whether Montreal was the “make it or break it round” many thought it could be. Trade negotiations of this scale, they said, take time.

NATIONAL Public Relations John Parisella, a former chief of staff to Quebec Premiers Robert Bourassa and Daniel Johnson and an advisor to Premier Jean Charest, suggested the talks could carry through to 2019.

“The President of the United States has shown some flexibility in the last six months,” he said.

“This was all supposed to end in December and now we’re going into March, to the end of March and we’re talking about the fact that if there’s –sort of a delay – because of the elections in Mexico and the United States, this could actually go into 2019.”

Others argued the current negotiations are not following a traditional trajectory.

“Each day is different, each hour is different,” Canadian American Business Council President Scotty Greenwood said – noting U.S. President Donald Trump “could change his mind at any time.”

The Canadian American Business Council is hosting a round table with members of the U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on trade tomorrow. Asked about that meeting, Greenwood said, the fact the Congressmen are travelling shows how critical an issue the NAFTA talks have become.

“The attention is now focused,” she said. ” The fact that you have ten members of congress coming to Montreal in the middle of winter, on the margins of an executive round of NAFTA, I think underscores that people are focused about it, members of congress are thinking about it and I think it’s very consequential.”

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7:42 p.m. EST: Good morning and welcome to Day Four of our coverage of round six of the North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiations. There’s lot’s happening today – but before we get into it – here’s a cute cat photo (courtesy of yours truly’s friends back home) to help you kick of your Friday properly.

We start off today at the Marriott Chateau Champlain, where the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are hosting a breakfast round table on the importance of NAFTA to the American Business Community. The panel includes Moisès Kalash who will speak on behalf of Mexico, John Murphy, Senior Vice-President International for the U.S. Chamber and the Hon. Perrin Beatty, President & CEO, Canadian Chamber of Commerce. The breakfast kicked off at 7:30 a.m., with a media event planned for 8:30 a.m.

Also at the Marriott: North American Farm Groups have planned a whole day’s worth of programming. A roundtable is planned for 11 a.m. with a media event scheduled for 3 p.m., followed by a reception.

Over at the Hotel Bonaventure, the negotiations continue with talks planned today on areas including pharmaceuticals, labour, government procurement, rules of origin, and phytosanitary and sanitary. Sectorals are also expected to meet as are the chief negotiators from all three countries.

In Davos: U.S. President Donald Trump is about to take the stage where he is expected to promote his ‘America First’ agenda. (He’s being introduced by a full brass band.) You can watch his address here.

And, a quick shout out to Montreal Tourism, who has kindly brought in bagels, lox and cream cheese for the reporters covering the NAFTA meetings this morning. Thanks guys!