[author: Laura Anne Schierhoff]

After meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in early February, President Trump said he plans to “tweak” the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Canada. Before this announcement, it was unclear whether the President would demand greater changes to NAFTA because during his presidential campaign, Trump discussed his desire to renegotiate or even scrap the trade agreement altogether. In a joint statement issued by the two leaders, they said the two countries share a commitment to “strengthen our ties for the benefit of our mutual prosperity and security.” The statement recognized the importance of the Canadian-U.S. relationship when it comes to the economy, declaring, “millions of American and Canadian middle-class jobs, including in the manufacturing sector, depend on our partnership.” President Trump’s announcement of making only minor changes to the U.S. trade relationship with Canada are in stark contrast to the rhetoric used when discussing U.S. trade with Mexico. President Trump and Mexican President Erique Pena Nieto have not met to discuss NAFTA, as a meeting that was scheduled for the end of January was canceled after tensions mounted over the proposed southern border wall.