Ottawa, ON – Shuvaloy Majumdar, Conservative Shadow Minister for Canada-US Relations, Stephanie Kusie, Conservative Shadow Minister for International Trade, and Eric Duncan, Conservative Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, issued the following statement after the July 1st Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) trilateral meeting:
“This week’s meeting between Minister LeBlanc and top American and Mexican trade officials marked a critical failure under Mark Carney’s leadership. The Prime Minister was elected on the promise to deliver a win with the US, but 15 months later, the Carney Liberals are no closer to getting a deal.
“Last year, the Prime Minister said he would get a deal by July 21st and ran on the flagship promise that he could ‘handle’ the American administration. Despite saying he could negotiate a deal in 10 days, we’re now over a year past the G7 summit in Kananaskis, where he failed to deliver results after saying he would get a deal in 30 days.
“Wednesday’s meeting did not result in a renewal of CUSMA, nor did it provide the long-term certainty Canadian workers need as trade negotiations continue. Our steel, aluminum, auto and lumber workers can’t afford more delays or uncertainty – their livelihoods are at risk. After a year and a half of rhetoric about having a plan and an endless list of missed deadlines, Canadian industry is left waiting for actual results.
“The 2.6 million Canadians who rely on trade with the Americans deserve a plan, not constant contradiction, endless concessions and sensationalist rhetoric detached from reality.
“Conservatives have put forward a serious plan to build leverage, confront U.S. tariffs, and defend Canadian industries and jobs. That includes an auto plan that secures a new tariff-free auto pact, makes it easier to build and buy Canadian and protects our jobs and auto industry. That’s how a Conservative government under Pierre Poilievre will make Canada stronger at home and build unbreakable leverage abroad.”