Has Canada Signed the Usmca Agreement

On November 30th, 2018, the United States, Canada and Mexico agreed to a new trade deal, dubbed the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement). The agreement was meant to replace the former NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement).

However, the road to ratifying the deal has not been without its challenges. In order for the USMCA to enter into force, it must be ratified by all three countries. The United States ratified the agreement in January 2020, but it took until early March for Mexico to follow suit.

As for Canada, the process has been more complicated. While the Canadian government signed the agreement on November 30th, 2018 along with the United States and Mexico, ratification has been delayed as a result of political negotiations within the Canadian government.

The delay comes from opposition parties who have raised concerns over certain aspects of the agreement. These include the enforcement of labour and environmental standards, as well as the protection of Canadian dairy farmers. The original NAFTA agreement opened up the Canadian dairy market to American producers, and Canadian farmers are concerned that the USMCA will further erode their market share.

As of mid-March 2020, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that his government was committed to ratifying the agreement as soon as possible, but that they needed to ensure that the concerns of all Canadians were addressed. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has since overtaken political priorities, and the ratification process has been put on hold.

In conclusion, while Canada did sign the USMCA agreement in November 2018, the ratification process has been delayed as a result of political negotiations and concerns raised by opposition parties. As of now, the timing of ratification remains uncertain due to more pressing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.