MEXICO CITY, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- The renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is still at a "very early stage," and cannot be assessed yet, Mexico's Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce (Concanaco) said Monday.
"They are starting to move some topics, but still at the initial stage of proposals, analysis and possibilities," Concanaco's President Enrique Solana told reporters, as he was leaving the hotel hosting the second round of talks in Mexico City.
"There is still time to go before there can be news on the matter. Right now, they are revising, talking and adjusting. They are warming up their engines. It's too soon to say how the talks are going," added Solana.
The three-way talks among Mexico, Canada and the United States, which began with a first round held in Washington in August, aim to update the 1994 trade deal, at the request of the United States.
The United States considers Mexico is unfairly benefiting from the agreement in several areas, including by artificially keeping wages low, which attracts industry owners but lures jobs away from American and Canadian workers.
The United States also wants to amend rules of origin so that NAFTA goods that benefit from tariff exemptions include a higher percentage of components made in North America, another demand Mexico is resisting.
Recent statements by U.S. President Donald Trump, which suggest that his country withdraw from the deal, have made Mexico somewhat nervous, though officials view them as a negotiating tactic.
Concanaco, which represents chambers of commerce, services and tourism, is particularly interested in the subject of e-commerce and its inclusion in an updated NAFTA.
On Tuesday, the second round will move into high gear with the presence of lead negotiators, including Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland, said Solana.
North America accounts for a fourth of global gross domestic product (GDP), according to the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico.
Talks are expected to continue till the end of this year.
