Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says his government would push for early renegotiations of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), and for Canada and the United States to pause tariffs on one another during the process.
“We should set a firm date to finalize a new deal, and I will propose that both countries pause tariffs while we hammer out that deal,“ Poilievre said during a campaign event in Toronto on April 2. ”Keeping destructive tariffs in place kills jobs on both sides of the border and serves no purpose at all.”
The Conservative leader said that since USMCA must be renegotiated in 2026 regardless, the three countries should work to “get it done fast.” U.S. President Donald Trump previously said during the presidential race in October 2024 that he would invoke the renegotiation provisions of the deal when it becomes eligible in 2026.
Poilievre’s remarks come the same day that Trump is set to announce sweeping reciprocal tariffs on all countries, which he has referred to as “Liberation Day” for the United States. The president is expected to announce those measures on April 2.
Canada’s immediate response to the latest round of U.S. tariffs, according to Poilievre, should be to impose reciprocal tariffs. At the outset of renegotiations, Poilievre said he would make clear that Canada’s borders, farmers, resources, laws, culture, and indigenous rights would be “red lines” that are non-negotiable in any agreement.
Poilievre said his government would also make clear that any commitments Canada makes on issues like market access, defence, and border security “can be withdrawn” at any time, and that any new trade agreement can not be violated by the United States.
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“We will hold up our end of the bargain, only as long as [Trump] holds up his. That is how we create the leverage to protect against a president who changes his mind and breaks his word,” he said.
The Conservative leader said he would also commit to using the revenue from an expanded USMCA deal to build up Canada’s military, assert its control over the Arctic, and meet its NATO commitments of 2 percent of GDP.
Poilievre said he would also demand that the United States does its part to “stop sending illegal guns across our border that kill our people.”
According to the latest figures from the Canada Border Services Agency, there were 7,700 weapons and firearms seizures at ports of entry from January 2024 to October 2024. Of these, 1,274 prohibited weapons and 750 firearms were seized coming from the United States.
Trump has cited border security as a justification for U.S. tariffs on Canada and Mexico, saying fentanyl and illegal immigration were flowing into the United States from the two countries. Canada and Mexico have made efforts to address the issue in response.
Trump said following a phone call with Prime Minister Mark Carney on March 28 that the two planned to meet “immediately” after the April 28 election, and that the discussion between the two had been “extremely productive.”
Carney said the call had been “very constructive” and that the president had “respected Canada’s sovereignty.”
In recent months, Trump has repeatedly said Canada should become the 51st U.S. state, and that he would use “economic force” to try and merge the two countries. All major political parties in Canada have said that this will never happen.
