When the USMCA is renegotiated, predictably dissolved in favor of two bilateral trade agreements – one for Mexico and one for Canada, all of the U.S-Canada trade sectors will be part of the enlarged free trade negotiation. As a result, there is absolutely no motive to engage in trade discussions now.
♦ President Trump’s position is essentially to talk about the details when the USMCA is dissolved; hence, the ambivalence.
Politico is noting the Canadian trade team simply doesn’t understand this. “[D]espite months of back and forth, the terms for a deal have not yet been set, a senior government source said, with the White House informing the Canadian side that Trump is more focused on securing deals with other partners like India.”
From Politico:
(Politico cont..) […] Earlier this month, Canada conceded that any deal with Trump is likely to include tariffs.
Carney’s government wants stability around the tariffs Trump invoked using Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.
They are crushing Canada’s auto, steel, aluminum and forestry industries. Trump also plans to hit imported copper with 50 percent tariffs starting Aug. 1 — with semiconductor and pharmaceutical imports likely to follow.
Canada ultimately wants the tariffs eliminated or lowered to a fixed level that doesn’t fluctuate, the senior government official said. “If we know what world we’re going into, then we can have better plans and policies to attract investment.”
Canada’s premiers say the unpredictability is punishing the economy.
“Private investment is not growing because everybody’s on pause,” Quebec Premier François Legault told reporters last week. “They are waiting to see what will happen. I’ve been in business — it’s about the worst thing you can have is uncertainty.”
And this is why Canada sends a delegation in desperation and nobody is there to answer the call.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/07/29/canadian-officials-continue-wondering-why-trump-administration-projects-ambivalence-toward-u-s-canada-trade-deal/
From Politico:
(Politico cont..) […] Earlier this month, Canada conceded that any deal with Trump is likely to include tariffs.
Carney’s government wants stability around the tariffs Trump invoked using Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.
They are crushing Canada’s auto, steel, aluminum and forestry industries. Trump also plans to hit imported copper with 50 percent tariffs starting Aug. 1 — with semiconductor and pharmaceutical imports likely to follow.
Canada ultimately wants the tariffs eliminated or lowered to a fixed level that doesn’t fluctuate, the senior government official said. “If we know what world we’re going into, then we can have better plans and policies to attract investment.”
Canada’s premiers say the unpredictability is punishing the economy.
“Private investment is not growing because everybody’s on pause,” Quebec Premier François Legault told reporters last week. “They are waiting to see what will happen. I’ve been in business — it’s about the worst thing you can have is uncertainty.”
And this is why Canada sends a delegation in desperation and nobody is there to answer the call.