Phoenix – The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) supports growth and prosperity across North America, generating nearly $2 trillion in annual merchandise trade. Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, Katherine Tai, United States Trade Representative, and Raquel Buenrostro, Mexico’s Secretary of Economy, attended the fourth CUSMA Free Trade Commission (FTC) meeting, hosted by the United States on May 21-22, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Minister Ng spoke with Ambassador Tai and Secretary Buenrostro on shared trade priorities and progress made in CUSMA implementation. They reviewed the ongoing work of 6 CUSMA committees, discussed the advances made to date and set goals to ensure the agreement can be adapted to future challenges. They also talked in depth about the environment, competitiveness, and labour.
Minister Ng and her counterparts also met with representatives of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the largest federation of unions in the United States. They spoke about the importance of upholding the highest labour standards in international trade. They also visited the offices of the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, where they discussed ways to make trade more inclusive of Indigenous businesses and communities.
During a meeting with Ambassador Tai, Minister Ng spoke of the uniquely close and long-standing relationship between Canada and the United States. She also highlighted the importance of CUSMA to North American competitiveness, as well as for creating good-paying middle-class jobs. Minister Ng and Ambassador Tai acknowledged the highly integrated automotive supply chain between the two countries; Minister Ng noted Canada’s commitment to work with the United States and Mexico to build the EV supply chain of the future. The Minister raised Canada’s concerns about the continued application of unjust tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber. Minister Ng reiterated the strong need to continue working together on steel and aluminum supply chains to ensure their continued resiliency.
In a meeting with Secretary Buenrostro, Minister Ng discussed the importance of ongoing CUSMA implementation and the 3 countries’ commitment to strengthening North American economic relations. She reiterated Canada’s concerns about the business and investment environment for Canadian companies operating in Mexico’s renewable energy and mining sectors. Secretary Buenrostro and Minister Ng agreed to continue to work together to further strengthen the relationship. Finally, Minister Ng confirmed that in 2025, Canada will host the fifth meeting of the CUSMA FTC.
“CUSMA is a tested and proven trade agreement that has made our integrated North American economy more globally competitive. It is essential that this trilateral partnership build on its collaborative success for North America’s continued economic security, resilience and prosperity.”- Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development