The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that the United States and Mexico appear to be heading toward greater integration in the run-up to a high-stakes review of North America's free-trade pact. The Globe's Steven Chase and Mark Rendell write that on Wednesday, the U.S. and Mexico agreed to formally start discussions about possible changes to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which is up for a mandatory review by the three countries this year. In a statement, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that he and his Mexican counterpart, Marcelo Ebrard, agreed to look into "possible structural and strategic reforms" to the agreement. These include "stronger rules of origin for key industrial goods, enhanced collaboration on critical minerals and increased external trade policy alignment." This list suggests both countries are open to further integration of the continental market, while working together to reduce outside goods in North American supply chains -- a position that analysts sometimes describe as Fortress North America. This could run counter to Prime Minister Mark Carney's efforts to reduce reliance on the increasingly protectionist U.S. and end what he has called "deepening integration."