Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette met with a U.S. trade official and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to discuss renewing the CUSMA trade agreement.
The meeting comes as the Trump administration threatens new trade penalties that could disrupt North American supply chains and impact regional economies.
Fréchette presented Quebec’s position on the renewal of the Canada-U.S-Mexico Agreement, known as CUSMA. During the talks, the U.S. official said there is a potential 10% [1] tariff on imports from countries that do not take concrete steps to eliminate forced labour from their supply chains [2].
Reports on the location of the meeting vary, with some sources placing the discussions in Washington, D.C., and others stating they occurred in Canada. Similarly, the U.S. official is identified as both the U.S. trade representative and the U.S. ambassador to Canada across different reports.
Fréchette said, "We are drawing a line in the sand over what Quebec will and won’t accept in any renewal of its trade relations with the United States" [3].
The presence of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith at the meeting signaled a front of unity between the two provinces. This coordination occurs as both regions face internal separatist pressures, though the premiers are aligning their economic interests to maintain stable trade with the U.S.
The U.S. official said the 10% [1] tariff is directed at any country that fails to implement concrete steps to curb forced labour [2]. Quebec and Alberta are seeking a renewal that protects their specific economic interests, and avoids these penalties.
“"We are drawing a line in the sand over what Quebec will and won’t accept."”
The coordination between Quebec and Alberta represents a strategic shift to project Canadian provincial unity to the U.S. administration. By aligning their interests, these provinces aim to mitigate the risk of targeted tariffs and secure a CUSMA renewal that prevents economic volatility, regardless of the political tensions within their own borders.
