Prime Minister Mark Carney held a phone call with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday to coordinate ahead of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) review.
The leaders committed to close collaboration on economic priorities and challenges, aiming to boost certainty, security, and prosperity for citizens.
Negotiations Timeline Takes Shape
Mexico schedules official CUSMA talks with the United States for late next month, while Canada lacks a confirmed start date.
The pact mandates renewal approval or exit notice by July 1, with potential negotiations stretching up to 10 years. U.S. and Canadian officials expect discussions to continue past that deadline.
Janice Charette, Canada’s lead trade negotiator, anticipates U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer pursuing bilateral elements alongside trilateral ones. “There’s a bilateral piece as well as a trilateral [piece] — my counterpart in the U.S. has described this to me as a kind of snap-on Lego bilateral piece to the underlying framework [of CUSMA],” Charette stated at an Ottawa summit.
Bilateral Trade Momentum Builds
Carney and Sheinbaum reviewed bilateral relations beyond CUSMA. A Mexican trade delegation launches a three-city Canadian tour in early May, featuring government-level discussions.
The visit builds on Canada’s record trade mission to Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey in February, which forged over 20 new partnerships. Carney expressed support for the Mexican initiative.
U.S. Tariffs Spark Tensions
U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum impact both nations. President Donald Trump offered immediate relief to Canadian and Mexican firms pledging future U.S. production shifts.
Greer faulted Canadian provinces for shelving U.S. alcohol products—a retaliation to prior tariffs—during congressional testimony.
Carney countered during a news conference: “You know what’s an irritant? A 50 per cent tariff on steel and aluminum, 25 per cent on automobiles, all of the tariffs on forest products. Those are more than irritants. Those are violations of our trade deal, OK?”
Canadian officials demand integrating sectoral tariffs into CUSMA talks, despite Greer’s position separating them.
Response to Canadian Tourist’s Death
Carney thanked Sheinbaum for cooperation after a Canadian tourist died in a shooting at a major Mexican pyramid earlier this week. The unnamed victim succumbed to gunfire that wounded 13 others. The Mexican gunman perished from a self-inflicted shot at the scene.
