As the fifth round of the NAFTA renegotiations kick off this week in Mexico, uncertainty over the future of the pact lingers. The demands by the U.S. such as scrapping the agreement’s dispute settlement mechanism… are among a growing list of “take it or leave it” demands by the Americans. …If the U.S. withdraws from NAFTA, our trade with the U.S. is not going to stop. It will, however, get more expensive. …In the short term, it could also give President Trump a tariff stick to inflict damage in certain sectors. We need look no further than the ongoing Canada-U.S. softwood lumber dispute to see how this can happen. …Canada is now appealing the decision, and as in the past, will likely win the appeal. But the process takes a couple years, and in the meantime, U.S. softwood lumber producers earn higher profits.