U.S. senators express support for trade pact as Trump questions CUSMA’s future
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United States lawmakers expressed support for the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade during a Thursday committee hearing after President Donald Trump floated the idea of ending the critical continental trade pact.
Republican Sen. Mike Crapo, from Idaho, told the Senate finance committee that the trade agreement, better known in Canada as CUSMA, has protected American jobs, strengthened manufacturing and helped to expand the economy.
“As the (CUSMA) review process proceeds, it is wise also to remember to not let the perfect become the enemy of the good,” Crapo said.
The trade agreement is up for mandatory review this year but Trump has indicated he’s in no rush to sign on for a 16-year extension. The president has said CUSMA may have served its purpose and has called the trade deal “irrelevant.”
The president’s trade team has also cast doubt on CUSMA’s future. United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who will be a key figure in the upcoming negotiations, has said it may be better for the U.S. to seek separate agreements with Canada and Mexico.
Both Democrat and Republican lawmakers backed the trade pact during the Senate hearing. Crapo said there are areas of CUSMA that need improvement but “this trilateral relationship should not be taken for granted.”
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