Is the end in sight?

You know NAFTA is coming under a ton of scrutiny when even the heads of business groups are mentioning that it's in jeopardy. But that's just the message that was sent today:

Lumber dominated Wilkins' one-hour meeting with the Business Council of British Columbia.

"There was really nothing new from the ambassador," said council president Jerry Lampert. "It was very respectful but frank."

Canadian business and political leaders see softwood as a litmus test of the entire NAFTA treaty. Business support for NAFTA is undermined when the U.S. is perceived as not abiding by its rules, said Lampert.

The conversation between Wilkins and the group was friendly from the CP account, but nothing indicated that either side is going to give on the lumber issue anytime soon. We'll see how long it takes for the issue to be put back on the front burner - but if even the businesses who benefit most from American sales don't think that NAFTA is worth preserving (and let's make clear that tearing up NAFTA doesn't mean slowing down trade in general), then the agreement may not last much longer.