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WASHINGTON — The NAFTA countries aren’t breaking up. But they are publicly bickering. They are delaying their next get-together date. And they appear to have agreed they won’t be resolving their differences by the end of this year.

The tensions at the negotiating table have exploded into public view.

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U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer says NAFTA talks are being extended into 2018, and the next negotiating round is being pushed back almost three weeks in a tacit admission that negotiators aren’t going to meet their original deadline for a deal by year-end.

The proposals tabled at the latest round have revealed huge chasms in negotiating positions, on everything from dairy and autos to even the basic architecture of an agreement — and the tone of Tuesday’s news conference made clear the talks have turned downright frosty.

Lighthizer said other countries are struggling to accept the reality that the U.S. wants to rebalance its trade agreements. He said other countries and industries must stop counting on easy export access to the U.S. market.