As Canada and the U.S. hammer out trade negotiations, Minister Responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade Dominic LeBlanc said Canada is “not an idle spectator” as the clock winds down to agree on the long-term renewal of the North American trade framework.
On July 1, the Canada-U.S.-Mexico-Agreement (CUSMA) can be either maintained for 16 more years or move to annual reviews.
LeBlanc spoke Thursday at the 2026 US-Canada Summit in Toronto, and was asked about the current trade negotiations.
“I remain optimistic. I think the prime minister is prepared to do the work we need to do,” LeBlanc said.
“We’re not waiting for that process as an idle spectator. We have put before the United States, before President Trump, some very specific offers that we think are in the interest of the United States economy and the Canadian economy.”
LeBlanc also said the July 1 deadline is “not a cliff that everybody goes hurtling off,” and explained that it’s more of a point in time where Canada, the U.S. and Mexico could potentially extend the agreement by up to 16 years, unless it is replaced with an entirely new trade framework.
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The U.S. and Mexico have spoken regarding a renewal, with two more rounds of talks scheduled for next week and late July.
LeBlanc was in Washington earlier this month for trade talks, and ahead of the meetings, his office sent a letter formally requesting to extend CUSMA another 16 years.
“This Agreement is highly beneficial to each of our countries and to the integrated North American economy,” Leblanc said in the letter.
“The growth and success brought forward by our historic trilateral trade agreement is why I am confirming that Canada recommends renewal of the agreement for another sixteen years.”
Speaking at the conference on Thursday, LeBlanc highlighted the “unique” challenges in working with Trump and his team in the negotiations, and that Prime Minister Mark Carney and Trump have a “very businesslike” relationship.
“President Trump is an experienced negotiator. He has a style that’s unique to a category of one, and that’s fine,” LeBlanc said.
“I’m encouraged because in the conversations I’ve seen between the prime minister and the president, and the prime minister sometimes talks to us about quite an active, informal conversation that he maintains with the president. They’re very businesslike.”
U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra also spoke at the conference and said Canada needs to be aggressive in these negotiations.
“I think Canada should optimistically look at this, and for all of the resources that you have and the capabilities that you have and the talent that you have, go into these negotiations very aggressively,” he said.
“I think every time we’ve met with the Canadian government, the president has always kind of closed the meetings off or consistently said through the meetings, ‘Make us an offer.’”
LeBlanc later said that a sense of certainty can feel fleeting at times when it comes to Trump, but his team is navigating through it.
“President Trump’s style is not one to give eternal certainty. So again, our job is to accept that and do what we have to to ensure that Canadian business and the Canadian economy navigate through that.”
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