Updates on NAFTA re-negotiations continue to flow in to the office of Manitoba's trade minister. The fourth round of talks to hammer out a deal between Canada, the United States and Mexico is set to get underway Wednesday.

Blaine Pedersen says that while the discussions are being handled by the federal government, the province remains connected with what's being said around the table.

"We have people from Manitoba that are at the negotiations...(and) Minister Freeland, the federal trade minister, has been keeping us up-to-date."

Meantime, Pedersen says the dispute resolution clause in the current trade deal remains an important one for both Canada and Manitoba.

"The Country of Origin Labeling (issue) was resolved under the dispute resolution clause and, of course the United States would like to see that gone, but we are adamant that that stay in there."

The Minister noted that this was also the mechanism that helped solve the softwood lumber trade issue between Canada and the United States a few years ago.