Thank you, Madam Chair.
Good afternoon to you and to all of the members of the trade committee.
Let me begin by commending the committee for the unanimous decision to study the upcoming 2026 CUSMA review. There are some things we may not agree with in this place, whether it be climate change, tax fairness or reproductive rights, but one thing I think we call all agree on is the importance of free trade with our North American allies to the Canadian economy.
Canada, the United States and Mexico are blessed with shared borders, shared values and unprecedented levels of cross-border trade and co‑operation. This partnership has deepened and evolved over the decades, with the Canada‑United States‑Mexico Agreement, or CUSMA, serving as the latest chapter in this relationship.
The modern era of free trade in North America began with the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement in 1988 and deepened with the historic creation of NAFTA in 1994 to include Mexico. Following a lengthy and intense negotiation, CUSMA emerged as the successor agreement to NAFTA and continues to safeguard Canada's preferential access to the United States and Mexico while driving integration and competitiveness in our North American market.