The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday, April 10, edition that North American free-trade agreement negotiators are hunkering down in Washington later this week in an effort to crack the key issue -- automobiles -- as the three countries work toward a goal of a preliminary deal by the end of the month. The Globe's Adrian Morrow and Greg Keenan write that after a meeting of top officials on the file failed to produce an agreement on Friday, the sides spent the weekend regrouping. Unnamed sources say negotiations will move forward in the next two days. Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said on Monday that negotiators will be in "permanent talks" with the aim of finishing discussions on renegotiating NAFTA by the start of May. He said: "There's a very high probability of reaching an agreement in principle. An 80-per-cent chance. We are within weeks of knowing if the NAFTA talks close with success." Mexican negotiators were in Washington on Monday, ready to continue talks. Canadian officials are set to join them later in the week, when autos will be on the table. If there is enough movement on autos, the three ministers could meet again to seal the deal, says an unnamed source.