(Photo: SRE)
The leaders of the United States, Mexico and Canada met this Friday in Washington within the framework of the draw for the 2026 World Cup, which the three countries will host, and spoke about trade in the run-up to talks for the review of the USMCA regional treaty.
President Claudia Sheinbaum, who met in person for the first time with her American counterpart, Donald Trump, since taking power in October last year, said on her X account that it had been an “excellent meeting” and that both leaders, along with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, agreed to “continue working together on trade issues.”
The three North American representatives presided over the World Cup draw ceremony and chatted while watching the event from a box at the Kennedy Center arts center.
Prior to the ceremony, Trump answered affirmatively to a journalist who asked him upon his arrival at the draw headquarters if they would talk about migration as well as trade.
The White House has not revealed details about the meeting. The meeting took place as the United States, Mexico and Canada prepare for the formal review in 2026 of the USMCA regional trade agreement, amid increasing US tariffs and calls from Washington to renegotiate or possibly withdraw from the pact.
The US president has widely praised the Mexican leader, while pressuring Mexico to do more to combat drug cartels and the flow of narcotics such as fentanyl into the United States. He has promised to maintain a 25% tariff on Mexican products that do not comply with the USMCA, pending further progress in the fight against drugs.
Relations with Canada have been more tense.
Trump had a friendly meeting with Carney in October, but then suspended all trade negotiations with Canada after the province of Ontario aired an ad using a video of former President Ronald Reagan – of the Republican Party, like Trump – warning that tariffs lead to trade wars and economic disaster.
The president also threatened to raise tariffs on Canadian imports, although he has not yet done so.
The USMCA, which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 2020 and was negotiated during the first Trump administration, requires the three countries to conduct a joint review after six years.
Trump could decide next year to withdraw from the trade deal, Politico reported Thursday, citing U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
Greer did not repeat the comment at an event later that Thursday and stated in an interview that the USMCA was the country’s current legislation, a law passed by Congress, and that Canada and Mexico were the main destinations for US exports.
-With information from Reuters.
