U.S., Mexico planning NAFTA ministerial talks on Thursday

The United States and Mexico plan to hold ministerial-level NAFTA trade talks on Thursday in Washington, the second such meeting within a week as efforts are ramped up to seal a deal on updating the 24-year old accord, two sources said.

Mexico and the United States agreed last week to step up talks on revamping the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in hopes of reaching an agreement on major issues by August.

There will be “technical meetings probably until Wednesday and a ministerial meeting on Thursday,” a Mexican source close to the talks told Reuters on Monday. A second Mexican source close to the talks also said a ministerial meeting was planned for Thursday.

“We will be there,” but it is not yet clear if the meeting will be trilateral and include Canada, said the first source.

A spokesman at Mexico’s economy ministry said there would be technical meetings this week, but said he did not know whether a ministerial meeting would take place.