The U.S. and Mexico Kick Off NAFTA Talks || Mar. 16, 2026
The U.S. has kicked off renegotiating NAFTA, but Canada was left out of the first round between Mexico and the U.S.
The U.S. is likely prioritizing a relationship with Mexico because of its healthier demographics and growing consumer base; therefore, Mexico is a more strategic long-term economic partner. Canada, however, has been getting the cold shoulder from this administration.
Leaving Canada high and dry could backfire, as the U.S. benefits greatly from Canadian manufacturing. We'll see how the strategy changes throughout these negotiations.
Comments (34)
Alberta separatists remain a small minority within the province, and there’s zero evidence they could ever win a clear majority in a referendum. I respect Peter, but to suggest otherwise is disingenuous.
"....we're more than friends and neighbors and allies; we are kin, who together have built the most productive relationship between any two countries in the world today." ~ Ronald Reagan on Canada and Canadian relationship with the US, Quebec City, Mar 17, 1985 The evil that is trump has single-handedly destroyed it.
The way that canadians in this comment section are talking about albertans proves exactly why albertans want to leave.
I read "Accidental..." I've followed Peter for quite some time. I understand the foundation of many of his arguments. I also, however, listen to other people far more intelligent than I and I'm starting to think Peter's all-in approach to China imploding is a bit over-sold / over-baked / over-something. And assuming they stick around a lot longer than Peter is prognosticating, that creates a very different set of circumstances to consider.
Agree that there's an art to reading the tea leaves of what he says. The building blocks and major forces he considers are great. But he tends to say "collapse" and "Germany as an ethnicity will disappear" and things like that, which require the listener/reader to understand we just crossed over into prediction. However, his broad strokes and major governing forces of geopolitics are pretty awesome and surprisingly scarce outside of him. I'm very happy with the ROI on my $5/month.
Peter would not the war in Iran that is causing fertilizer shortages across the globe help Canada in NAFTA negotiations given they supply most of the world’s pot ash?
I just finished listening to the Accidental Superpower
Peter. What would you do if Trump called you for advice and wanted you to go to Washington to fix everything?
As a Canadian I can tell you that we have very little interest in anything from the current US administration as nothing they say or sign has any actual value. Why would we bother wasting our time with such a dishonest, disorganized, unlawful and unreliable administration? We'll do just fine selling our resources elsewhere, feeding our own people and keeping our homes lit and warm. You guys have fun with the orange pedo running the show for you and getting your sons and daughters killed for his ego.
Im willing to bet you live either west of hope BC or east of kenora ontario, and assume that everybody in the country must think exactly like you, and if they dont, they must just be stupid racist rednecks. Canada has chosen china, and ill take the US over china every day of the week
Alberta isn't different. You've been gas lit by the Quebec-dominated Liberal Party.
Alberta is the Texas of Canada, and their separatists are about as smart. I’ve spent more time than I care to admit listening to Texas separatists.
Lots of poison coming from Alberta oil fields. Toxic legacy.
Lighthizer was negotiating with an unprepared Trudeau/Freeland partnership. Greer faces a far more prepared Carney/Sidhu partnership. Ex-central banker Carney has spent his time on a plane negotiating trade deals from Europe to India to Japan, and Mexico. Canada also does the upstream mining before it turns into a plane. Trump has spent his time using tariffs to encourage every trading partner to look for alternatives, culminating in a US payroll decline. Mexico understands the situation - Venezuela has informed them. But Greer will be able to announce the best deal ever because Trump will be allowed to call it something new 🥂👏
Canada has options. It has been of value to the US over the years and the opposite is true, but their Prime Minister Carney has been quietly meeting with the leaders of other nations around the globe and Canada will survive and prosper no matter which way this goes. But a solid and fair CUSMA would be preferable for both sides.
Something like "foederati" status, perhaps?
Hmmm...and you think that the Mexicans won't be talking to Canada??
Already are.
All Canada had to do was try to combat our fentanyl industry and go back to doing background checks on immigrants. Instead, we insulted Trump. The Liberal government also will not give up on supply management because it gives them an excuse not to negotiate a deal. They have always preferred allying with China.
Dunno Jerry... I think you should revisit some of Zeihans previous posts. Review those and I think you'll find PZ indicating that there really is no Canada/US fentynal issue. That was made up by Trump as part of his excuses to tariff Canada. And I think you'd be hard pressed to provide evidence that Canada preferred allying with China. Again, reviewing previous posts (and any number of other resources) it's obvious that the US is Canada's largest trading partner. Finally, during Trumps first term he renegotiated a new free trade deal with Canada and said it was the best deal ever. And now here we are in Trumps second term and all of a sudden Canada is totally taking advantage of the US. Trump is burping and farting at the same time. I have friends in Alberta with a decidedly right leaning attitude. And they like to suggest the same sort of talking points you have... none of which seem to be supportable with factual information (but we're still friends 😁).
Albertan demographics are only younger because young Canadians move there to work and older retirees move away to British Columbia and Ontario to retire. If they separate, they lose that and have to rebuild it using whatever minorities Americans prefer utilizing for hard labour these days, and I'm sure Alberta would love that.
I know a 60+ year old guy from Ontario who just moved to Alberta.
Nothing makes sense anymore. Rational thinking and making the best choices for the greater good of the continent in favour of some made up vendetta against… Canada!!? W the literal F?
Seriously, why does your home office sound like you are in the bottom of a bucket with echo but your audio when hiking in the middle of nowhere sound amazing?
Agree. PZ needs to just hire an audio engineer from any reputable podcast company for just a couple days to improve his system.
General Motors just closes plants in Ontario. 11,000 layoffs. They're not happy
I thought I just read the other day that Carney is working on deals with other auto manufacturers to use the shuttered GM plants. Plans afoot to cut GM out of future opportunities? Or something like that.
This one was hard to listen to🇨🇦🫤
The US doesn't pay for the benefits of Canadians and Mexicans? Wrong. Those costs are folded into the cost of imports from the two countries. It is continually irritating to me that people don't think about the economy as a whole rather than a multi-layered system with each layer affecting the next. I didn't expect this shallowness from a geopolitical expert.
Wrong. No more than Canada pays for American benefits because of imports from America.
Trump looking to do separate agreements w Mexico v Canada? What else is new? Given his stellar track record, I'm sure both countries will readily agree.
Trump never seems to miss a chance to damage relation with our best friends and allies, to the detriment of the US economy, which will have a big effect in the midterm elections come Nov. It makes no sense to me. What does he gain from this compulsion?
Watch out for orange piggy. He screws up almost everything.
Nothing like re-re-re-inventing the wheel to replace a perfectly fine trade deal eventually with the same exact thing.