President Trump hailed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) during his first term as the greatest free trade agreement in history, with its architect Ambassador Robert Lighthizer calling it the “gold standard” of such deals. However, the current Trump administration, referred to as Trump 2.0, has replaced Lighthizer with appointees including economist Peter Navarro and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, whose actions have strained relations with Canada.

Canada, a close ally, has faced harsh treatment, including being labeled the “51st state,” and Lutnick reportedly said, “they suck,” fueling historic levels of anti-American sentiment. U.S.-Canada relations are now described as the most strained since the War of 1812. Meanwhile, President Trump has expressed skepticism about the value of USMCA, suggesting the U.S. might be better off without it.

Despite these tensions, Congress along with counterparts in Canada and Mexico are urged to consider the economic consequences of weakening free trade. Real median weekly wages have increased by 19 percent since USMCA’s predecessor NAFTA, reversing a 5 percent decline in the 15 years before NAFTA’s implementation. The agreement includes a 10-year renegotiation window, allowing for review and amendments before its scheduled expiration on July 1, 2036. If no amendments are agreed upon during the current review, USMCA will continue in its current form.

The prudent course, according to opinion contributors Joel Griffith and Andrew Hale, is to hold firm against any weakening of USMCA’s terms to preserve the economic benefits and regional cooperation it supports.

Sources