Canada formally requests 16-year renewal of North American free trade pact

In a letter to his North American counterparts, US-Canada Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the three countries should renew the USMCA trade deal. Canada formally requests renewal of USMCA North American free trade pact Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Dominic LeBlanc, the minister for Canada-US trade, is in Washington on Tuesday for trade talks Dominic LeBlanc mid-speech. He is wearing a suit and has black and gray short hair. Canada formally requests 16-year renewal of North American free trade pact Canada has formally requested a renewal of the North American free trade agreement with the US and Mexico, called the USMCA, as the July deadline to renegotiate the pact looms. In Tuesday's notice, Canada-US trade minister Dominic LeBlanc requested the deal be renewed for another 16 years, calling the agreement "highly beneficial" to all three countries. It comes as LeBlanc is in Washington to meet US trade representative Jamieson Greer. Greer concluded the latest round of formal bilateral talks with Mexico this week, but the on-again-off-again negotiations with Canada have lagged behind. In the notice letter, LeBlanc argued that the USMCA - known as CUSMA in Canada - gives North American countries a competitive global advantage. He added that Canada recognises there are areas the pact can be improved, adding that the country is "willing to consider any proposal that can be beneficial to all three nations' long-term prosperity". He also said that: "In parallel, discussions with the United States on addressing sectoral tariffs will be essential." Prime Minister Mark Carney has said that he wants sector-specific tariffs imposed on Canadian steel, aluminium, automobiles and lumber by the Trump administration removed or lowered, while Greer has indicated that Canada may have to accept some form of US levies. A row of milk jugs displayed at a Canadian shop, showing prices ranging from $7 to $10. The price tags each have a red maple leaf next to them, signifying that the product is Canadian Four things the US wants from Canada on trade Prime Minister Mark Carney speaking at a podium. He has short grey-black hair and is wearing a black suit with a burgundy tie. Canada's US booze boycott could be resolved if Trump addresses tariffs, Carney says The US, meanwhile, has cited multiple trade irritants with Canada, including the decision by most provinces to remove American alcohol from shelves due to tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. It also wants greater access to Canadian markets for American businesses, specifically dairy, where Canada has strict control over production quotas and imports to support local farmers. Last week, Greer said that he will also be discussing increasing the percentage of US content in North American-made cars, as well as co-ordinating external tariffs on other countries with Canada and Mexico. In its talks with Mexico, the US has asked that vehicles made in North America contain at least 50% American-made content, according to Reuters. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Carney said that cars made in Canada already contain around that amount of US content, on average. In a speech in New York last week, he said a stronger Canadian economy would support growth in US. "Canada Strong will help make America great again," he said. Domestic pressure has been building on the prime minister to reach a deal with the US, with the Conservative opposition MPs citing Canada's lagging economic growth and high youth unemployment rate. "What is the plan?" asked Jasraj Singh Hallan, a Conservative MP at a news conference on Tuesday morning, calling Carney a "grand illusionist" who has failed to deliver on his promise of growing Canada's economy. Greer has blamed the slower pace of Canada-US negotiations on Canada's decision to retaliate against the US for its tariffs, compared to Mexico. "Two countries in the world retaliated against us: The People's Republic of China and Canada," he told reporters last week. "So they're just in a different spot, and it's hard to see necessarily where that ends." President Trump has not commented recently on US-Canada trade talks. But on Monday, he revived his "51st state" rhetoric against Canada in a Truth Social post, where he shared link to a news article about its lagging economy. Carney acknowledged to reporters on Tuesday that the economy is experiencing "some weakness". Asked if the country is in a recession, the prime minister said his government is working on building "a stronger, more resilient, and more independent Canadian economy". If Canada, the US and Mexico do not agree to extend the USMCA by 1 July, the pact would have to be renewed annually, until 2036. An image showing a close-up of a red Sour Puss bottle, with a black and yellow logo that features a drawing of a cat sticking its tongue out. Next to the bottle is a red cocktail in a mason jar glass with a plastic straw and a lime. When trade soured, this American liquor maker moved to Canada A close up image of Mark Carney, who looks out at the distance with a quizzical expression. Behind him is a blurred red background. He is standing at a podium. 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