The head of UPS says his company is “very positive” on Canada despite the uncertainty still surrounding NAFTA renegotiations.  

David Abney, the chairman and chief executive officer of UPS, told BNN in an interview Thursday that although “cautiously” optimistic,  he’s “encouraged” NAFTA will be modernized soon.

“The U.S. could have no better ally and partner than Canada,” he said.

The American package delivery company plans to expand its footprint north of the border, recently unveiling a plan to invest $500 million in buildings, facilities and technology in Canada, adding about 1,000 jobs over the next few years.  

Abney says the expansion plan aims to take advantage of new opportunities in e-commerce and emerging markets.

UPS has also been in the spotlight recently, along with other U.S. parcel companies, as Amazon reportedly seeks to launch its own new delivery service.

But Abney maintains the company has a good relationship with the tech giant.

“Our message is that UPS is the e-commerce vendor of choice – and not just for Amazon, but for many, many other customers, large and small,” he said, noting he plans to stay out of the ongoing spat between Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and U.S. President Donald Trump.

As e-commerce expands,  Abney says it’s the biggest opportunity right now and should be a focus of a revised NAFTA deal.

“We believe there needs to be a focus on e-commerce and small and mid-sized businesses,” he said. “It’s easy for big companies to cross borders, but for these smaller companies, we need to take complexity, we need to take cost, we need take time out of the border crossings — and we believe a modernized NAFTA does that.”

“If we have a modernized NAFTA agreement – which I believe we will — it could be the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “We’re just very positive on Canada and trade between the borders.”