U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said the United States remains intent on renewing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) but is meeting resistance from Canada as negotiators approach a mandatory review on July 1.
Speaking at the Canadian Crops Convention in Toronto, Hoekstra said the U.S. believes the USMCA - known in Canada as CUSMA - has performed well, but he complained there have been no "substantive" talks with Canada since October. He added that while the two sides want to reach an accord, they are encountering difficulties.
Hoekstra said: "I think we want to get to an agreement, but we are facing some headwinds in the negotiations," and noted that the Canadian minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade met with his counterpart, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, last week.
A representative for the Canadian minister responsible for U.S. trade did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
U.S. priorities outlined by Hoekstra
- Canada should do everything it can to get into the lowest tariff buckets.
- The U.S. is looking for coalitions with countries that will make sure that if there are trade agreements, then the non-tariff trade barriers are removed.
- U.S. President Donald Trump has said there will be some tariff for getting access to the U.S. market so the Canadian government and businesses should make the case why it is beneficial for the U.S. to do business with Canada at the lowest tariff rate.
- Canada and the U.S. can also work more closely on energy. The U.S. already imports a lot of oil and natural gas from Canada, the U.S. processes much of this energy, and it would want to expand the partnership.
- Canada should also build a stockpile of critical minerals in Canada or the U.S. to use during emergencies. Canada has many critical minerals and it should develop a full supply chain to become an ideal partner for the U.S.
Hoekstra emphasized a mix of tariff and non-tariff issues as central to upcoming talks, and he highlighted energy ties and critical minerals as areas where expanded cooperation would benefit both countries. He framed these priorities as part of Washington's broader approach to ensuring market access and supply-chain resilience.
There was no additional detail provided on timelines, specific negotiating positions beyond the points Hoekstra listed, or outcomes expected from the recent meeting between the Canadian trade minister and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The comments left open how the parties will address the cited "headwinds" before the statutory July 1 review.
Also included in the public record around the event was promotional material about investment research products, describing how institutional-grade data and AI-powered tools can support investment decisions for 2026, though no link was drawn between that material and the bilateral trade discussions Hoekstra described.