Chrystia Freeland

A delegation of premiers will be in Washington this weekend to buttress cross-border business ties with their American counterparts, hedging their bets at the dawn of a new and uncertain era of managed North American trade. The premiers are taking part in the winter meeting of the National Governors Association, a three-day gathering. …Part of the group’s mission is to extend Canada’s gratitude for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the new North American trade pact that President Donald Trump signed into law last week that is awaiting ratification in the House of Commons. …New trade agreements notwithstanding, protectionist sentiment remains on the rise, Moe acknowledged Wednesday, making it critical to continue to engage with key trading partners on issues both within and outside the USMCA, such as the ever-present softwood lumber dispute.