Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc met with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, resuming negotiations after a freeze since last October. The review of CUSMA and the abolition of tariffs on steel, aluminum, cars, and timber are being discussed.
Canadian Minister of Trade Dominic LeBlanc arrived in Washington for the first face-to-face meeting in recent months with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The negotiation process had been effectively frozen since October last year, when President Donald Trump unilaterally canceled consultations. This was reported by CBC News, writes UNN.
Details
The main item on the agenda is the review of the Agreement between Canada, the US, and Mexico (CUSMA), which coincides with Ottawa's attempts to achieve the abolition of harsh tariffs on steel, aluminum, cars, and timber.
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The American side uses these tariffs as leverage, demanding from Canada expanded access to the dairy market and the abolition of requirements for financing local content by streaming platforms. An additional complication to the negotiations is Washington's threat to divide CUSMA into separate bilateral agreements or completely terminate the current treaty, which would subject all Canadian exports to Trump's general tariffs.
Tariffs will be part of any trade agreement reached with Canada
– said Jamieson Greer in a comment to CBC News during the president's recent address to the nation.
Expert assessment and dialogue prospects
Despite the complexity of US demands and the restraint of officials after the meeting, the very fact of resuming personal contacts is perceived by analysts as a step towards stabilization.
Experts note that the return to direct negotiations is an important signal for businesses in both countries, which are suffering from uncertainty. When Dominic LeBlanc left the meeting in Washington, he refrained from detailed reports on progress, limiting himself to a concise wish to journalists.
I consider this a very positive sign
– noted Eric Miller, president of the consulting firm Rideau Potomac Strategy Group, assessing the resumption of negotiations.
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