Ford says all premiers aligned on push for Canada to have bilateral trade deal with U.S.
Premiers calling for meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to discuss the idea
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says all provincial and territorial premiers are aligned on his push for the federal government to negotiate a bilateral trade deal with the United States.
Ford, who is the current chair of the Council of the Federation, the group of Canada's 13 premiers, says they had a call Wednesday and there is a clear consensus that the country needs separate agreements with the U.S. and Mexico.
"All the premiers, we know Mexico is bringing in cheap Chinese parts, slapping made-in-Mexico stickers on, shipping it up through the U.S. and Canada, causing American jobs to be lost, and Canadian jobs," he said after the call wrapped up. "We want fair trade."
Asked specifically if the premiers bought into Ford's proposal for a bilateral deal with the U.S. excluding Mexico, Ford said yes.
Meanwhile, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey told reporters in Ottawa that what was agreed upon was a contingency plan.
"The concept was that should the old agreement fail, we would be interested in supporting two separate bilateral agreements," he said. The Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement is up for review in 2026.
Concerns arising around Chinese transshipment through Mexico
The premiers are calling for a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his officials to discuss the idea. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has said members of the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden and advisers of incoming president-elect Donald Trump have expressed "very grave" concerns to her about the issue of Mexico becoming a "back door" to Chinese goods.
Freeland has sought to reassure nervous Canadians that the country is in a good position with the incoming Trump administration, even as it threatens new tariffs, because Ottawa is moving in lock-step with the U.S. on Chinese trade irritants.
Mexican president has criticized plan
This week, Trudeau raised the issue with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit in Brazil, saying he highlighted concerns directly to her.
Speaking to reporters in Mexico after Ford first raised the idea earlier in November, Sheinbaum said the idea had no future. She said when the trilateral trade deal was first signed, Mexico advocated for it to include Canada.
Stuart Trew, a trade researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, said he thinks the move is an attempt to deflect.
"It looks like they're scared of what [President Donald] Trump might do on tariffs," he said. "They're deflecting attention from Canada and putting attention on Mexico. Throwing Mexico under the bus."
He said instead, Canada and Mexico should be working together on a strategy for trade during Trump's second administration.
With files from CBC News