Minister Champagne says the Nexus dispute should be resolved by December

Mr Champagne, who was in Washington to meet with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, said he had raised the issue with his US counterpart as an example of a situation where a quick resolution would be in the interest of both countries.

If we look at the challenges we face, I’d say it should be easy to fix, because it’s about making sure the boundary is as smooth as possible.He said in a press conference.

I certainly hope that the President and Prime Minister can resolve this issue before long [se rencontrent]. I think there is an understanding on both sides that what we want now is fluidityhe added.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to sit with President Joe Biden while the two leaders meet with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Three amigos In Mexico in December.

A face-off between MM. However, Trudeau and Biden may soon take place: Mr. Biden has yet to make his long-promised and oft-delayed first visit to Canada since becoming president. White House officials declined to say when the trip would take place.

While Nexus enrollment centers in the US have been open since April, 13 centers in Canada have been closed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

That’s because U.S. Customs and Border Protection won’t send U.S. agents there unless they receive the same legal protections as their counterparts at airports and ports of entry, such as the Canada-U.S. border.

Held hostage

Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the US, raised her voice last week when she said the Nexus project was being ‘held hostage’. As part of a unilateral US effort to renegotiate the terms of the treaty.

She went further, calling out American tactics Brutal Contrary to an otherwise cordial and cooperative relationship with Canada.

Mr. Champagne declined to say whether Ms. Raimondo shared his concerns about the Nexus plan.

We want to be competitive and we are in a hyper-inflationary periodHe declared.

It is our duty to ensure that the agents go back to their offices to issue these nexus cards and to ensure that this is rectified as we always do with our American friends.The minister continued.

That may be a minor controversy compared to Canada’s efforts last year to force the U.S. to abandon electric vehicle tax incentive programs that kept out Canadian-made cars and trucks.

Canada is part of the equation

In legislation that would cut the inflation, Mr. Those efforts paid off in August when Biden signed it. Essential minerals of trade friendly countries including Canada.

Canada should also benefit from this Chips ActA new US law designed to help create a more resilient supply chain and manufacturing base for semiconductors and help wean the world off China.

These concessions have already helped launch important mineral and battery manufacturing projects in Canada, Champagne said.

It’s in America’s interest to make sure Canada and the U.S. are competitive, because if you want resilience in the supply chain, Canada has to be part of the equation—there’s no way around it.he said.

In everyone’s mind, Canada is part of the equationThe minister added.