The best-case scenario for Canada and the United States to finalize a new North American Free Trade Agreement in Washington will be a “face-saving” pledge to continue negotiating as Friday’s deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump looms, according to one trade lawyer.  

“There’s a lot of issues to really close in a day,” Mark Warner, trade lawyer with MAAW Law, said in an interview with BNN Bloomberg Friday. “The best you can have out of today is some sort of vague, face-saving commitment to continue the conversations.

“Today’s about just getting Canada on board.”

Trump announced Monday that the U.S. had reached a preliminary trade deal with Mexico, while setting a Friday deadline for Canada to join the pact or face punishing automotive tariffs.

But talks between Canadian and U.S. trade negotiators reportedly turned sour Thursday evening, according to The Globe and Mail.  Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland offered several concessions to maintain the Chapter 19 independent trade dispute mechanism, but U.S. Trade Relations representative Robert Lighthizer stood firm on eliminating it, the Globe reported.

The Canadian negotiating team is now deeply concerned that the talks will end in failure, the Globe reported, citing a source familiar with the situation.

Warner noted that if Canada decides Friday that it will not join the U.S. and Mexico, the country could face more discord from its southern neighbour.

“That’s the other scenario, that’s what I call the chaos scenario,” Warner said.

“You’re daring Trump to up the ante by giving notice of withdrawal from NAFTA and seeing what kind of reaction that brings in Congress and the courts, or that he goes ahead and slaps 25-per-cent [auto] tariffs.”