Ottawa signals readiness for formal trade negotiations while navigating American pressure for policy changes and a reported entry fee to join the table
Mark Wiseman, Canada’s newly appointed ambassador to the United States, has signaled that Ottawa is prepared to enter formal discussions for the CUSMA review alongside its North American partners.
Addressing parliamentarians for the first time on Thursday, the former AIMCo and CPPIB executive stated that Canada is ready, willing and able to begin the process. Speaking before the Foreign Affairs and International Development Committee, Wiseman characterized the upcoming review as a critical opportunity to mitigate the market instability triggered by recent American trade stances.
Wiseman said that it takes two sides to have a meeting, as he navigated questions regarding why formal sessions have yet to commence. While Wiseman emphasized his readiness, US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra recently suggested to podcaster Jasmin Laine that no serious negotiations have occurred since last autumn.
The lead-up to these talks is being complicated by what sources described to Radio-Canada as an entry fee demanded by Washington. The CBC reports that the Trump administration is allegedly seeking significant concessions from Canada as a prerequisite for even sitting down at the negotiating table.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has pushed back against this approach. Carney told reporters this week that it’s not a case of the United States dictates the terms, emphasizing that Canada has its own list of trade irritants, specifically pointing to US levies on steel, aluminum, and forestry products.
According to BNN Bloomberg, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has expressed concerns over a philosophy gap, claiming Canada is doubling down on globalization while the US shifts toward more protectionist policies. Specific American grievances include Canada’s management of dairy quotas and the removal of US alcohol from provincial liquor store shelves.
Despite the pressure, the prime minister has maintained a firm stance on certain domestic protections. Wiseman echoed this during his testimony, noting that Carney has been clear that supply management is not on the table in any negotiation.
While Wiseman’s previous professional writings had critiqued the supply management system for impeding innovation, he told the committee that his personal views are completely irrelevant to the job that I have to carry out. He pledged to faithfully protect the policy as the representative of the Canadian government.
The ambassador’s arrival in Washington comes at a high-stakes moment for the bilateral relationship. Wiseman identified his primary goals as maintaining preferential market access, upholding economic sovereignty, and shielding Canadian commercial interests.
Formal CUSMA review talks are expected to intensify before the July 1 deadline, at which point the three nations must decide whether to extend the agreement for another 16 years.
