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Perdue optimistic NAFTA deal will get done

It’s been a bumpy road so far for the NAFTA negotiations, but U.S. ag secretary Sonny Perdue is optimistic the three sides will eventually reach agreement.

“There are going to be some anxious moments for our agricultural producers across the country,” Perdue says. “At the end of the day, I do believe we will get an agreement over NAFTA.”

Perdue says negotiations could go down to the wire, with many last minute deals taking place.

“I think trade negotiation is a little bit like the way I do Christmas. You know, I do my shopping on the 24th. That’s typically when these negotiations get done, in the last throes—last days—of those negotiations. Everyone works better with a timeline when it comes to negotiation.”

The three countries have been holding informal NAFTA talks this month in Washington. The next official round of negotiations is scheduled for late January in Montreal.