Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Wednesday that the ratification of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) would be "very problematic" if Washington refuses to remove tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
"As long as the tariffs are in place, ratification will be very, very problematic," Freeland stated. However, she noted she is optimistic that today's talks with the US will lead to the removal of the duties on metal imports imposed by Washington last year.
Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that the US is "close" to reaching an understanding on tariffs with Canada and Mexico. Meanwhile, Canadian media reported that Washington already struck a deal with Mexico on lifting steel and aluminum tariffs without introducing any export quotas.
