Canada could lose more than 100,000 jobs if the Canada‑U.S.-Mexico free‑trade agreement, known as CUSMA, lapses, a study by the Canadian American Business Council finds. The same scenario would eliminate roughly 214,000 positions in the United States.
Report quantifies job losses
The council's analysis projects that a successful renegotiation of the pact would create an additional 98,000 Canadian jobs and 137,000 American jobs by 2027 compared with the status quo. By contrast, a breakdown would shave 102,000 jobs from the Canadian labour market and 214,000 from the U.S. economy.
"The choices made today will determine North America's economic competitiveness for decades to come," said Beth Burke, chief executive of the council, in a statement.
Negotiations in Washington
In July, Washington announced it would not renew the agreement in its current form, meaning the treaty now faces an annual review that adds uncertainty for businesses on both sides of the border. At the same time, a fresh round of U.S. tariffs looms.
Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's trade minister, travelled to Washington this week with chief negotiator Janice Charette. Both met U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Tuesday, marking LeBlanc's third known sit‑down since the president's tariff threat.
LeBlanc posted on X that discussions remain ongoing and that Canada will continue to defend its interests at the negotiation table.
President Donald Trump has pledged to impose sweeping 50 percent tariffs on a wide range of Canadian goods beginning 19 August. The move follows three executive orders that cite provincial boycotts of American alcohol, Canadian retaliatory duties on U.S. vehicles and auto parts, and limits on American dairy imports under Canada's supply‑management system.
Should the deal collapse, the loss of predictable trade rules would reverberate across supply chains, especially in sectors such as automotive, agriculture and energy that rely on integrated North American markets.
Policymakers in Ottawa now face a narrow window to secure a renewed pact that preserves jobs and maintains the continent's competitive edge.
Based on reporting by Global News.