Mexico a ‘solid partner,’ but concerns about Chinese investment linger: Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Mexico has been a “solid partner” successful North American commercialized negotiations, but acknowledged that Donald Trump’s concerns astir Chinese concern successful its system request to beryllium addressed.

Trudeau was walking a delicate enactment astatine the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering successful Lima, Peru Saturday, arsenic satellite leaders proceed to grapple with Trump’s re-election and the imaginable of 4 years of Republican regularisation successful the United States.

“Mexico was a coagulated spouse successful advancing the priorities of Canadians, of the priorities and interests of workers crossed North America,” successful the past circular of commercialized negotiations with the U.S., Trudeau told reporters.

“And we’ll ever look to enactment with our partners connected creating much opportunities. There are concerns astir the level of Chinese concern successful Mexico that I deliberation request to beryllium addressed, but I americium hopeful that we’re going to beryllium capable to enactment constructively implicit the coming months and possibly years to guarantee that North America remains an advantageous spot for North Americans, for our workers, for our mediate class, and creates existent growth.”

Trudeau’s comments came days aft Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested Mexico “shouldn’t person a spot astatine the table” successful the upcoming renegotiations astir North American escaped commercialized unless the state matches Canadian and U.S. tariffs connected Chinese imports.

Trump, who made America’s planetary commercialized relationships a cardinal portion of some his archetypal word and his re-election campaign, has accused Mexico of allowing Chinese companies to bypass the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and export vehicles and parts into the North American market.

Canada followed President Joe Biden’s administration’s determination to slap 100 per cent tariffs connected Chinese imported electrical vehicles and a 25 per cent levy connected Chinese alloy and aluminum. Mexico has not yet followed suit.

“If Mexico won’t combat transshipment by, astatine the precise least, matching Canadian and American tariffs connected Chinese imports, they shouldn’t person a spot astatine the array oregon bask entree to the largest system successful the world,” Ford’s bureau said successful a statement.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith echoed Ford’s disapproval successful an interrogation with CBC News earlier this week.

The agitating by the 2 blimpish premiers comes arsenic Canada – and the remainder of the satellite – prepares to reckon with a 2nd Trump presidency and navigate the assorted promises and threats the president-elect has made implicit the past 2 years of campaigning.

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Part of that volition beryllium a renewed cross-partisan “Team Canada” charm violative targeting American politicians from Congress down to the authorities and section levels, a elder authorities root antecedently told Global News.

During the past Trump administration, that included salient conservatives – including Ford himself – to effort and spare the Canadian system from Trump’s whims.

Trudeau told reporters that Trump’s pending instrumentality to the Oval Office had travel up “a just bit” successful conversations with satellite leaders astatine the APEC summit.

“People cognize that Canada managed to steer done the archetypal Trump presidency with important occurrence successful creating jobs and accidental for Canadians and American workers. (Other leaders) wanted to cognize what kinds of things they request to beryllium focused connected and I pointed retired that, you know, emphasizing the win-wins, knowing that determination are going to beryllium challenging moments ahead, that Donald Trump volition beryllium precise overmuch focused connected what’s bully for the United States,” Trudeau, present successful his ninth twelvemonth arsenic premier minister, said.

“But due to the fact that commercialized tin and should fundamentally beryllium win-win, determination are ways to enactment successful superior but frank and unfastened engagements that present opportunities for people.… Let’s marque definite we’re lasting up for our citizens and creating maturation for everyone due to the fact that that’s a speech we person anyway.”