U.S., Mexican presidents meeting at White House to talk USMCA, without Canada

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is meeting today with his Mexican counterpart to celebrate North America’s new trade deal — without Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declined to join the talks, citing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, today’s sitting of the House of Commons and the continuing threat of U.S. tariffs against Canadian aluminum.

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office has accused Canada of exceeding limits on aluminum exports spelled out in the May 2019 agreement that lifted Trump’s national-security tariffs on Canadian-made metals.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s visit to Washington, his first foreign trip since being elected in 2018, has prompted widespread criticism at home for a leader whose campaign trafficked heavily in criticizing Trump.

Since then, the leader known in Mexico as AMLO has been pilloried for his deference to a U.S. president famous for aggressive anti-immigration policies at the southern border.

Experts, however, warn that Lopez Obrador may find himself sadly mistaken if he thinks visiting the White House will exempt Mexico from Trump’s tendency to undermine strategic allies when it suits his political needs.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2020.

The Canadian Press