Carney picks former head of public service to spearhead CUSMA negotiations

ground government minister deutsche mark Carney has elect former secluded Council clerk Janice Charette to head Canada's trade negotiations as it prepares for a review of the North American trade pact.

Charette's title is chief trade negotiator to the United States, according to a Monday news release from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). She'll be a senior adviser to Carney and Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc.

"Charette brings extraordinary leadership, expertise and a deep commitment to advancing Canada’s interests," Carney said in the release. "She will advance Canadian interests and a strengthened trade and investment relationship that benefits workers and industries in both Canada and the United States."

The announcement comes as the federal government prepares for a scheduled review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) this year.

It also comes a day after Mark Wiseman, a global investment banker and pension fund manager, took the reins as Canada's next ambassador to Washington.

Canada's last ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman, recently stepped down so a fresh team could be assembled to take on the review of the trade pact.

CUSMA: It’s gonna be forever or it’s gonna go down in flames

Charette twice held the top job in Canada's public service — from 2014 to 2016 and 2021 to 2023. Previously, she served as Canada's high commissioner to the U.K.

In her second tenure as Privy Council clerk, Charette recommended the government use the Emergencies Act for the first time, in order to clear anti-public health measure protests that had gridlocked downtown Ottawa in 2022.

That decision thrust her into the spotlight when she was later called to testify at the Public Order Emergency Commission last fall and defended her reason for recommending use of the act. She also appeared at the subsequent commission looking into foreign election meddling.

In reaction to Charette's appointment, Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman said Carney hasn't delivered on the promise of getting tariff relief from the U.S.

"We don’t need another bureaucrat or negotiator, we need results for the thousands of auto, lumber, and steel making jobs lost to the United States," she said in a statement.

Trade negotiations were a stress test for Ottawa during the first Trump administration. The trade talks were tense at times, but ultimately CUSMA was hailed a success in all three countries.

Since Donald Trump's return as president, however, confidence in CUSMA's future has waned.

During a meeting with Carney at the White House, Trump called the deal "transitional" and said it may have served its purpose.

Last month, Trump called the deal "irrelevant" and said it offered "no real advantage" to the United States.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said late last year that the Trump administration is considering breaking up the three-way agreement and opting for separate deals with Canada and Mexico.

Before a congressional committee in December, Greer also rattled off a list of trade irritants with Canada. The Online Streaming Act, dairy access and the provincial ban on the sale of U.S. Alcohol were all issues he mentioned.

Trump says CUSMA is 'irrelevant,' targets auto trade with Canada

In the past year, Trump has slapped a number of tariffs on key Canadian industries — including steel, aluminum, auto parts, lumber and energy— as well as levies on non-CUSMA-compliant goods.

In the wake of Carney's speech in Davos last month that was widely interpreted as a rebuke of Trump's foreign policy, the U.S. President has threatened further tariffs on Canadian aircrafts. 

Last week, Trump promised to block the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which is poised to become the newest border crossing between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit.

The president has also blasted Canada for reaching a new trade agreement with China last month.

LeBlanc is currently leading a trade mission in Mexico to push for new business deals with that CUSMA partner.

Senior writer

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