Hoekstra Says U.S. Awaits Canada's Trade Offer as July 1 USMCA Review Deadline Nears
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jun 11
Hoekstra Says U.S. Awaits Canada's Trade Offer as July 1 USMCA Review Deadline Nears
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jun 11
Summary
July 1 is the deadline to launch the USMCA joint review, but U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra said Washington is still waiting for Canada to clearly state its direction and put an offer on the table.
The impasse comes after President Donald Trump said he is not looking to renew the North American trade pact and argued the U.S. should run surpluses with both Canada and Mexico.
Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's trade minister, said he presented specific proposals to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington last week, underscoring the gap between the two sides' accounts.
Canada remains economically important to the U.S. despite Trump's rhetoric: it supplies 53% of Canada's potash exports to the U.S., while Canada accounts for nearly 40% of global potash exports.
Mark Wiseman, Canada's ambassador in Washington, said Ottawa must keep reminding Americans that 'America First' does not mean America alone as trade talks stall again.