The mayor of Sherbrooke, Que., a former MP, is calling on the federal government to stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump during the upcoming renewal of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, known as CUSMA.
July 1 does not mark the expiration of CUSMA, but is the start of a renewal window. This gives the three parties a chance to iron out irritants and the option to renew the pact for another 16 years.
Marie-Claude Bibeau says the supply management system must remain unchanged to avoid major economic and social impact on dairy, eggs and poultry farmers in the Eastern Townships region in southern Quebec.
During Tuesday night’s city council meeting, the former federal minister of agriculture tabled a motion urging Canada to make zero concessions.
The document was officially endorsed by local elected officials and was sent to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Heath MacDonald, and Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc.
Earlier this week, Canada’s Ambassador to the United States Mark Wiseman tried to lower the temperature around CUSMA.
It is set to expire in 2036 but a renewal would extend that expiration to 2042. If the parties don’t agree to a renewal, CUSMA will be subject to an annual rolling review for up to 10 years.
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Trump has openly mused about walking away from the deal he negotiated in his first term. Wiseman noted the United States can trigger the exit clause with six months’ notice at any point — not just after July 1.
He also pointed to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer saying the United States wants to preserve the “pillars” of CUSMA as another reason to avoid panic.
In an interview with Radio-Canada, Bibeau said supply management is “fundamental” for the regional economy and food security in the Eastern Townships.
“I believe we must protect it, and we can never have too many applying pressure,” she said.
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Bibeau wants to demonstrate that Canadians should stand with their farmers.
“We also want to send a message of unity to the U.S. government, showing them that everyone is mobilized,” she added.
She is asking the federal government to consult producers throughout the negotiations, arguing that farmers are already dealing with the fallout from recent international agreements ratified by Canada.
