Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc says his side “certainly won’t be the source of any delay” in resolving negotiations on the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on free trade (CUSMA) that are expected to culminate this summer.
Speaking to Global News after appearing at the House of Commons standing committee on international trade Thursday, LeBlanc acknowledged public comments made earlier this month by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer — who said it was unlikely that “all issues” surrounding the trade pact will be resolved by July 1 — were also made to him privately.
That’s not a “drop-dead date” for a deal to be reached, LeBlanc said, but he added Canada is ready to move as soon as the Americans are.
“We certainly won’t be the source of any delay,” he said.
“We’re ready to do the work to get to a deal very quickly. We’re prepared. We have submitted a number of proposals to the Americans. We continue to have a number of constructive meetings at all levels. So we are very much in conversations with them.”
LeBlanc told the committee he had a 45-minute phone call last Monday with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. He would not share details of their conversation but said it was “positive.”
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The minister added other conversations have been ongoing behind the scenes between U.S. Ambassador Mark Wiseman, Canada’s new chief U.S. trade negotiator Janice Charette and their various American counterparts.
July is the required deadline for the U.S. to notify Canada and Mexico about its plans for CUSMA.
The CUSMA review sets up a three-way choice for each country: they can renew the deal for another 16 years, withdraw from it, or signal both non-renewal and non-withdrawal — which triggers an annual review that could keep negotiations going for up to a decade.
Both Greer and U.S. President Donald Trump have previously floated the idea of abandoning the trade pact in favour of two separate bilateral agreements. Trump has also mused that CUSMA, which he negotiated during his first term as president, may be irrelevant.
LeBlanc told the committee that Canada continues to engage with the Trump administration on reaching a comprehensive agreement that covers both the CUSMA issues and relief for tariff-affected sectors like steel, aluminum, autos and lumber.
“We’re not prepared to deal with these things as a one-off,” he said.
“If we’re going to resolve some of these issues that Ambassador Greer referred to, Canada is ready and willing to do that work, but as part of a deal, a larger agreement that brings relief to sectors of the Canadian economy that are under considerable pressure now and brings greater certainty around the USMCA or CUSMA review process.”
Those conversations were renewed in earnest in March when LeBlanc travelled to Washington to meet with Greer for the first time in months.
The U.S. has since outlined a number of ongoing trade issues with Canada, including supply management and policies like the Online Streaming Act.
LeBlanc reaffirmed Thursday under questioning from the Bloc Quebecois that supply management was not on the table in the CUSMA negotiations.
Canada is acting like Iran..how well did that go for the Iranians when the USA attacked lol
Facts Only – Our goverment is “negotiating” in private. They tell us nothing useful and it’s barely factual. Just keep listening to the news for your “facts”.
Lets start getting closer with China because they are the “stable” ones. No facts to back up that claim, just “Trust me bro”.
Lets see the MOU from China please!
this is the worst gov in Canadian history. i am blown away at how little is expected and how little has been done. the economy burns we are at risk of losing 85 percent tariff free trade. how is that not losing. we better hope the American people dont realize that we boycott them if they did they might reciprocate.
The amount of unhinged, emotional comments here is amazing. Always great entertainment reading you guys lose it. Congrats complainers. I guess its cheaper than therapy ..lol
It’s no wonder Trudeau soiled himself and ran away from this mess.
Why has the American Ambassador says that there has been not serious negotiations with Canada since last October?
Does Le Blanc really think that the US won’t demand an end to supply management as a condition of signing a new agreement?
Delusional Liberals.
Code for we are desperate for a renewal
🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕 ELBOZOS
LIES . NOTHING BUT FREAKING LIES FROM THESE SCUMBAG LIBERALS
JUST CHECK OUT JASMINE LAINES NEWEST VIDEO ON YOUTUBE WITH THE US AMBASSADOR SAYS IT ALL RIGHT THERE
Excuses for not knowing how to negotiate
Up yours LeBlanc you useless assh*le. You are the one stalling because you have zero idea what you are doing. You are just one of the several useless musical ministers who has held how many portfolios and each one was a dumpster fire! CALL AN ELECTION YOU BUNCH OF FASCIST COWARDS!!
Nothing in this article is true or accurate, the US ambassador to Canada has stated in a recent interview that deals where in place and Canada blew them off, also they are not at the table negotiating USMCA. Mexico has been negotiating for months now and have a framework in place. Check your facts.
Yep, liberal funded with taxpayers money tells you and liberals say trust us we control your media and information. Canadian citizens voted minority government what do we have after liberals used taxpayers money to bribe other MPs.
Your vote counts in communist Canada NOT. Elbozos up.
Canada keeps delaying the negotiations, so that’s an interesting take.
Remember, if the Liberal government gets a deal, then they can’t use Washington as a scapegoat to blame all of Canada’s problems on.
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Of course it will.
But the Liberals need to keep blaming Trump, Iran, Ukraine, climate change, daylight savings time, and everything else under the sun for Canada’s economic woes.
Otherwise, the elbows up voters might start to suspect that the government that’s been in power for 11 years might actually be the problem.