The ticking clock of CUSMA negotiations with the Trump White House |
Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House on Oct. 7.Evan Vucci/The Associated Press
Tariffs imposed by the United States have priced Canadian exporters out of their most important market, stalled hiring, bankrupted small businesses and lifted costs for households already stretched by inflation. This has been, by many measures, one of the most challenging periods in recent history.
Before long, Canadians may look back on it with a degree of fondness. On July 1, 2026, a mandatory review of the Canada–U.S.–Mexico Agreement will determine whether the next decade unfolds under predictable rules or a prolonged period of recurring uncertainty.
Unlike the torrent of deadlines and threats of deadlines that have persisted since Donald Trump was returned to the Oval Office, the 2026 review carries formal weight – and will bring attention to a ticking time-bomb provision offered as a major concession to the U.S. trade team in the 2017 renegotiation of NAFTA.
In a last-minute bid to keep the U.S. from walking, Ottawa and Mexico City agreed........