PM Carney taps former head of public service to spearhead CUSMA negotiations

Prime Minister Mark Carney has chosen former Privy Council clerk Janice Charette to head Canada's trade negotiations as it prepares for a review of the North American trade pact.

Charette's title is chief trade negotiator to the United States, according to a Monday news release from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). She'll be a senior adviser to Carney and Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc.

"Charette brings extraordinary leadership, expertise and a deep commitment to advancing Canada’s interests," Carney said in the release. "She will advance Canadian interests and a strengthened trade and investment relationship that benefits workers and industries in both Canada and the United States."

The announcement comes as the federal government prepares for a scheduled review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) this year.

Charette twice held the top job in Canada's public service — from 2014 to 2016 and 2021 to 2023. Previously, she served as Canada's high commissioner to the U.K.

In her second tenure as Privy Council clerk, Charette recommended the government use the Emergencies Act for the first time, in order to clear anti-public health measure protests that had gridlocked downtown Ottawa in 2022.

That decision thrust her into the spotlight when she was later called to testify at the Public Order Emergency Commission last fall and defended her reason for recommending use of the act. She also appeared at the subsequent commission looking into foreign election meddling.

Trade negotiations were a stress test for Ottawa during the first Trump administration. The trade talks were tense at times, but ultimately CUSMA was hailed a success in all three countries.

Since Donald Trump's return as president, however, confidence in CUSMA's future has waned.

During a meeting with Carney at the White House, Trump called the deal "transitional" and said it may have served its purpose.

Last month, Trump called the deal "irrelevant" and said it offered "no real advantage" to the United States.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said late last year that the Trump administration is considering breaking up the three-way agreement and opting for separate deals with Canada and Mexico.

Before a congressional committee in December, Greer also rattled off a list of trade irritants with Canada. The Online Streaming Act, dairy access and the provincial ban on the sale of U.S. alcohol were all issues he mentioned.

In the past year, Trump has slapped a number of tariffs on key Canadian industries — including steel, aluminum, auto parts, lumber and energy— as well as levies on non-CUSMA-compliant goods.