WASHINGTON — Canada's top diplomat in Texas, in many ways, has an easy sell when it comes to trade.

Vasken Khabayan, the nation's consul general in Dallas, knows he can count on Gov. Greg Abbott as a big booster of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Ditto for Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. And the same for so many other Texas lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

"Whether they are Democrat or Republican, I've heard all of them be supportive of NAFTA and trade," he said.

But Canada is taking no chances as renegotiation talks over the massive trade deal between it, the U.S. and Mexico hit crunch time.

Khabayan has in recent weeks joined an effort to tout the importance of NAFTA — highlighting, in particular, Canada's role in the agreement that launched nearly 25 years ago. That push in Texas often includes the reminder that trade in the Lone Star State covers more than just Mexico.

"It's not like we're a small player," he said, noting that Canada is Texas' No. 2 export market.

The intense focus on Texas' trading ties to Mexico is understandable.

Mexico last year accounted for nearly 36 percent of Texas' total trade, according to data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau. That tally covers nearly $189 billion, a figure that equals the trade Texas has with its next nine biggest trading partners combined.

Vasken Khabayan, acting general consul general of Canada in Dallas (Courtesy of General Consulate of Canada in Dallas.)

But Canada also has big trade with Texas on oil and gas, plastics and car parts. There are nearly 700 Canadian-owned businesses in Texas, employing many Texans. And the Dallas area actually conducts more trade with Canada than with Mexico, according to 2013 Brookings Institution study.

In short, Khabayan said, don't overlook Canadian trade.

"It's not as large as Mexico," he said. "And of course, we don't share a border. But that doesn't mean that we don't have a lot of close ties with Texas."

Here's what Khabayan had to say about three other big trade topics:

Three's the number

President Donald Trump's preference for bilateral trade deals is well-known. As is his threat to end NAFTA, which he's called the "worst trade deal ever." And recent negotiations between the U.S. and Mexico have spurred speculation that the two countries might split off to make their own deal.

Khabayan dismissed that potential.

"It's supposed to be a trilateral deal," he said. "That's what NAFTA has been from the very beginning."

The consul general stressed that supply chains now often course through all three countries. That's true for automobile manufacturing, an important industry in Texas. But it's also true for other sectors, such as food service companies that make soups and other goods, he said.

Dairy duties

Trump often blasts Canada for its 270 percent dairy tariffs.

Texas isn't a dairy queen like Wisconsin, but it still has a fair number of dairy farmers. Asked how he would justify to a Texan his country's large dairy tariffs, Khabayan said "every country has certain areas where they have policies that have been used for their own industries."

The U.S., for instance, uses trade barriers to protect sugar, peanuts and tobacco. Canada, in turn, has decided to shield dairy.

Khabayan argued that Canada already provides the U.S. a "significant amount of access to our dairy markets." He also pointed out that the Trans-Pacific Partnership would've given the U.S. even more entry. But Trump withdrew from that deal, punting the issue to NAFTA.

Car trouble

Canada is among the many countries to express concern about Trump's threat to impose tariffs on imported automobiles, especially amid ongoing tensions over Trump's metal levies.

Khabayan, echoing the automakers themselves, pointed out that car parts often travel between the U.S., Mexico and Canada several times before final assembly. That supply chain is important for car plants, such as General Motors' factory in Arlington or Toyota's in San Antonio.

The consul general said the levies would hurt Texas, whether or not other countries retaliate.

"There are no cars that are made 100 percent in the United States," he said, adding that consumers would end up bearing the additional costs.