Canada–U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he was “reassured” in talking with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer that senior U.S. administration officials understand Canada is not pursuing a free trade agreement with China.
LeBlanc told reporters in Ottawa on Jan. 26 that he had a “cordial, lengthy conversation” with Greer on Jan. 25 about Canada’s commitment under the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) “not to enter into free trade discussions with countries that do not have a market economy.”
He said he reiterated that Canada is committed to this position and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent visit to China was “not at all” in the context of pursuing a free trade agreement with Beijing. He also said Greer understood “very well” that Canada has a “narrow” trade agreement with China that deals with specific sectors that had been impacted by tariffs in the last couple of years, which he noted is similar to deals the U.S. administration made with China last fall….