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Though Canada isn’t without political pressures of its own, including an upcoming election in Ontario and the May 1 expiry of its exemption from U.S. tariffs on imports of aluminum and steel, “I think there’s more urgency for the United States than there is for Canada,” said international trade consultant Peter Clark, who is advising clients affected by the negotiations.

“It’s the Americans who really want to push this. The Mexicans are under some pressure if they can get a good deal, because of their election,” he said. “We don’t know what other pressures Canada is under in the talks, but we’re certainly not in the weakest position at the table.”

Though there are still “differences of opinion” among the three countries Canada is working hard to narrow the gaps, David MacNaughton, Canada’s ambassador to the United States said following an event in Toronto Wednesday.

“There is a good chance, with the three leaders getting together in Peru, it provides a focus for us to work really hard to try and get as far as we can,” he said. “I’m not going to predict where this is all going to end up except for the fact that we’ve done our homework, we’re going to try and work as hard as we can to get as far as we can.”

U.S. urging notwithstanding, the likelihood of any substantive agreement being hashed out in time for an announcement next week is slim, he added.

Though six to seven smaller issues in the talks – including items related to anti-corruption, the treatment of small and medium sized businesses, and sanitary regulations – are finished or close to being finished, many issues still remain, among them some the most difficult points, he said. They include rules surrounding government procurement and how to handle disputes on anti-dumping and countervailing duties under Chapter 19 of the deal.