U.S., Mexico talk USMCA
U.S., MEXICAN PRESIDENTS MEET AT WHITE HOUSE, WITHOUT CANADA
The president of Mexico is in Washington to meet with President Donald Trump and celebrate North America’s new trade deal — a celebration in which Canada is not taking part. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to join the talks, citing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this week’s pressing parliamentary business and the continuing threat of renewed U.S. tariffs against Canadian aluminum exports.
The coming into force of the new U.S.Mexico-Canada Agreement is a win for all three countries at a time of serious economic uncertainty, Trudeau said Wednesday as he suggested — without stating directly — that he intends to discuss the matter with Trump in the near future.
“I speak reasonably regularly, and have over the past many years, with the U.S. president, and look forward to congratulating him and all of us on the coming into force of the new NAFTA, the USMCA,” the prime minister told a news conference.
“I think it’s really important that at a time of economic strain and stress that we continue to have access to the world’s most important market. This is good for Canadian workers and Canadian jobs right across the country.”
Trump sang the praises of the agreement during his initial appearance Wednesday with Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and extended his congratulations to Canada as well, saying he would speak with Trudeau later in the day and that the two would mark the occasion together in person at a later date.
“It’s the largest, fairest and most advanced trade deal ever reached by any country, and it will bring enormous prosperity to both American and Mexican workers — and Canada,” he said.
“We’ll have a separate day with Canada — they’re coming down at the appropriate time — but we want to congratulate Canada, and the people of Canada, and the prime minister.”
The formal debut of the agreement, which took effect last week, has nonetheless been sullied by the U.S. trade representative’s claim that Canada has exceeded limits on aluminum exports to the United States established when Trump lifted national-security tariffs on Canadian-made steel and aluminum in May 2019.
The threat of renewed tariffs “is a little bit difficult to understand,” Trudeau said.
“The U.S. doesn’t make nearly enough aluminum to be able to cover its needs, particularly at a time when we want economies to get going again across North America. What tariffs would do would be to raise prices for manufacturers in the United States and put extra stresses on them at a time when stresses abound.”