Canada Passes USMCA; Trump Pushes for June 1 Implementation

Canada voted to approve the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement without amendment on Friday, March 13, but its implementation may be delayed by the coronavirus. Following passage of the agreement, Canada’s parliament was dismissed for three weeks to combat the spread of the virus.The next step for Canada is “royal assent” by the governor general and a final “order-in-council” request to obtain authorization to ratify and implement the agreement.

The Trump administration seeks to have the USMCA enter into force on June 1 even as government attention from the three countries is turned toward the challenges of the COVID-19 response. Implementation of the agreement would be considered a victory for Trump in his re-election campaign.