Mexican foreign minister says trilateral trade talks will happen when ‘appropriate’

OTTAWA — Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Minister Roberto Velasco Alvarez says his government will engage in trilateral talks with the U.S. and Canada on the continental trade pact when “it’s appropriate.”

The Trump administration opted not to renew the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, better known as CUSMA, at the start of July.

That triggered rolling annual reviews for up to a decade, at which point the agreement will expire if the partners can’t agree on an extension.

Mexico and the U.S. are set to hold their third round of official negotiations next week, but Ottawa and the Trump administration have not started similar talks.