Canada to join Mexico in complaint on US car-origin rules

NEW YORK: Canada plans to formally join Mexico in calling for an arbitration panel to resolve a dispute with the United States over how to interpret rules governing the origin of vehicle parts, according to a recent media report.

The two countries expect to request in the first days of January the creation of a tribunal of experts to rule on the matter as allowed under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, Bloomberg reported on Friday.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has faced pressure from business leaders to become more aggressive against what Canadians sees as growing U.S. trade protectionism, it added. Trudeau has instructed his top economic ministers to take "tougher positions" on trade issues amid growing disputes with the United States.