Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to unveil a new advisory council focused on Canada-U.S. trade relations, according to multiple reports. The move comes as Canada prepares for the upcoming review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement later this summer.
The new council is expected to replace and reshape the earlier advisory group created in 2025 under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the height of U.S. trade tensions. While some members may remain, others are expected to be replaced as the council narrows its focus specifically to trade strategy and negotiations.
Sources say the new body will likely be led by Michael Sabia and Janice Charette.
The announcement follows Carney’s recent national address in which he said Canada’s historic economic dependence on the United States has become a vulnerability.
He warned that rising U.S. tariffs on sectors such as steel, aluminum, copper, lumber and automobiles have changed the relationship fundamentally, saying Canada must respond by strengthening its own economy and diversifying trade.
Meanwhile, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has suggested that not all trade disputes with Canada and Mexico may be resolved before the July 1 review deadline.
The United States has already begun formal bilateral preparations with Mexico, including a planned negotiating round in late May in Mexico City. No equivalent formal meeting has yet been announced between Canada and the U.S.
The creation of the new advisory council signals Ottawa’s intent to be more organized and proactive as one of the most important economic negotiations facing Canada approaches.