Canada on sidelines as US and Mexico seek Nafta accord

Amid persistent tension between Ottawa and Washington, Canadian officials sat out the latest round of Nafta talks.

Meanwhile, U.S. and Mexican officials sought to hammer out new rules for the auto trade at the center of the talks, which are part of the Trump administration’s effort not only to narrow the trade deficit, but to chalk up victories that might justify the president’s confrontational approach to trade.

Should Mexico and the U.S. reach an accord on autos, an important sector covered by Nafta, it could lead to a broader deal to revamp the pact for all three of its members, officials say.