Canada’s Provincial Leaders Push for U.S.-Only Trade Deal, Excluding Mexico

Ontario Premier Doug Ford leads a unified call from Canadian premiers for a bilateral trade deal with the U.S., citing concerns over Mexico's role in North American trade.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that all 13 Canadian provincial and territorial leaders support pursuing a bilateral trade agreement with the U.S., separate from Mexico.
The leaders argue that Mexico acts as a 'backdoor' for cheap Chinese goods entering North America, harming Canadian and American jobs.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland acknowledged U.S. concerns about Mexico's trade practices and stated that Canada shares those concerns, though Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prefers maintaining the trilateral USMCA framework.
The premiers plan to meet with Trudeau in December to discuss trade strategies and will attend a U.S. governors' meeting in early 2025 to strengthen cross-border relations.
The push for a U.S.-Canada trade deal comes as Donald Trump prepares to re-enter the presidency, with his administration signaling potential renegotiations of the USMCA in 2026 and possible new tariffs on foreign goods.