Trudeau says ‘we’re ready’ for CUSMA review after Trump vows to reopen it

Trump said he will invoke the six-year review clause under the agreement and seek new protections for the American auto industry from Chinese interests.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that Canada is “ready” for a likely renegotiation of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) after Donald Trump vowed to reopen the free trade deal if he returns to the White House.

Trump told the Detroit Economic Club on Thursday that he will invoke the six-year review clause under the agreement and seek new protections for the American auto industry from Chinese interests. U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris, who’s running against Trump in November’s election, has also said she intends to review the pact.

Speaking to reporters in Laos at the end of this week’s ASEAN Summit, Trudeau said his government will continue to defend Canadian workers and industries as it did during the tense negotiations with the first Trump administration that led to CUSMA, often referred to as the “new NAFTA.”

“We’ve been here before,” Trudeau said.

He said Canada has “bucked the trend” of countries turning away from international free trade deals toward more protectionist and “insular” economic strategies by successfully negotiating agreements with Europe and Asian partners, as well as CUSMA.

“We did it by standing up for Canadian jobs, by demonstrating how integrated, in the case of the United States, our economies already are. We’re ready to do it again if necessary.”

CUSMA, known as the USMCA in the U.S., replaced the decades-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) when it came into force in 2020 — putting it up for review in 2026. All three countries will have to confirm in writing if they wish to extend or renegotiate the agreement.

During his speech in Detroit, Trump announced that “upon taking office, I will formally inform Mexico and Canada of my intention to invoke the six-year renegotiation provisions of the USMCA that I put in.”