International Trade Minister Peter Van Loan says he is optimistic the bill will not come to pass. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press)

Fresh off a recent skirmish over "Buy American," some Canadian cabinet ministers are expressing confidence that a new protectionist push from some U.S. politicians won't succeed.

A group of 28 members of the House of Representatives last week unveiled a bill calling for U.S. President Barack Obama to give Canada and Mexico six months notice that it will pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The push is being led by Representative Gene Taylor, a Mississippi Democrat, and has the backing of both Republicans and other Democrats.

The politicians blame NAFTA for contributing to job losses in the U.S.

On Tuesday, some Canadian cabinet ministers expressed doubts the bill will get far.

"Our evaluation is that this is certainly inconsistent with the direction that the Barack Obama administration has chosen," International Trade Minister Peter Van Loan told reporters on Parliament Hill.

"In the state of the union address, the president made clear his commitment to try and grow the American economy through trade," he said.

Van Loan said NAFTA was important for job growth and development both in Canada and in the United States, "and as such we’re optimistic that [the bill] will not come to pass."

"We're always worried about protectionist tendencies," said Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

Canada recently avoided a trade issue with the U.S. government when it worked out a deal on the so-called "Buy American" provisions contained in the U.S. stimulus package.

"Certainly our success in getting the Buy American deal penned ... is a demonstration of the Obama administration’s commitment to freer trade, so we anticipate we’ll continue to work hand-in-hand with them to deal with any threats of rising protectionism."