Trump signals he won't renew CUSMA trade agreement with Canada

U.S. President Donald Trump signalled Wednesday he is not looking to renew the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) when it comes up for renewal.

CUSMA — known as USMCA in the United States and T-MEC in Mexico — is the 2020 trade pact that replaced NAFTA, updating rules on autos, agriculture, digital trade, labour standards, and dispute resolution. The agreement includes a six-year review clause, which means leaders must decide whether to renew or renegotiate in 2026.

"I'm not looking to renew it. I made the deal, and the primary reason I made the deal is that NAFTA was the worst trade deal I have ever seen," Trump said. "We don't need anything that Canada has. We don't need anything that Mexico has, but they need everything that we have."

Trump added: "We should have surpluses with them. We don't need their cars, we don't need their lumber, we don't need their energy; we don't need anything."

Canada and Mexico have repeatedly emphasized the agreement's importance to economic stability and supply chains, particularly in autos, agriculture, and energy. Canada is the United States' largest trading partner, with the two countries exchanging more than $3 billion in goods and services daily.

When pressed, Trump said: "We're talking to them. We'll see if we do something."

For Vancouver readers and businesses tied to cross-border trade, this uncertainty marks a significant moment. The next steps remain unclear.