A wide range of powerful American industries — from Kentucky bourbon distillers to Wisconsin dairy farmers and U.S. steelmakers — are staking out their positions as the Canada–U.S.–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) heads into a mandatory review next year.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative has been compiling submissions from industry groups outlining what they want changed in the three-country pact, offering an early glimpse of the disputes that could dominate negotiations.
Many sectors urged the Biden administration to roll back the sweeping tariffs imposed under President Donald Trump’s trade agenda, warning that duties on Canadian goods are hurting U.S. consumers and driving up prices. The Can Manufacturers Institute told Washington that tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum were making cans more expensive to produce, ultimately pushing grocery costs even higher for Americans.
But not everyone wants the tariffs gone. U.S. Steel Corporation argued the opposite, calling for American steel duties on Canada to remain in place indefinitely to protect domestic production.
The competing submissions underscore the political and economic pressure facing negotiators as they prepare for what is expected to be a tense and closely watched review of North America’s most important trade agreement. With Trump’s tariff-heavy approach shaking long-standing trade flows, industries on both sides of the border appear braced for a contentious year ahead.