President Donald Trump said that he has no interest in updating the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, while his administration imposed 50% duties on approximately USD 20 billion in Canadian imports—including beer, dairy, plywood and hockey sticks—under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930.
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, 28 July 2026, that he has no interest in revising the six-year-old US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), stating that the trade deal matters far more to Mexico and Canada than to the US.
The position comes as Canada’s trade minister prepares to fly to Washington this week for fresh talks amid escalating tariffs on both countries’ goods.
“I don’t care. I mean, I don’t really want to. I’d rather be independent. ​Here’s the thing: Mexico and Canada need us. We don’t need them. The deal is important for them. It’s not important for us.” Trump said in a phone call to the Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends” program when asked whether he is interested in updating the USMCA on 28 July 2026.Â
How the USMCA review turns into a reckoning
Trump declined to renew the USMCA when the agreement came up for review on 1 July, which triggers a decade-long wind-down unless all three nations negotiate changes. His administration has already breached the accord by slapping 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian-built vehicles and trucks, plus 50% levies on their steel and aluminium.
The administration also imposed fresh duties on approximately USD 20 billion in Canadian imports—including beer, dairy, plywood, and hockey sticks—under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, citing Canada’s retaliatory moves and insufficient concessions on dairy market access.
Trump’s trade chief and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer completed a third round of talks with Mexico last week, but the sides remain divided over tightening automotive content requirements. Canada has been sidelined from formal negotiations so far, though officials have maintained back-channel conversations with Greer.
Earlier, on 22 July 2026, Jamieson Greer said that the Trump administration no longer expects to complete a full overhaul of the USMCA this year. Instead, the US plans to pursue interim agreements with Canada and Mexico by the end of 2026, while postponing negotiations on more complex issues, including rules of origin, labour standards and environmental requirements, until 2027.
Canada’s chief negotiator heads to US for talks
Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc will travel to Washington this week accompanied by chief negotiator Janice Charette. The visit marks the first in-person meeting since the latest tariff announcement. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he and Trump agreed to intensify negotiations, though Trump’s recent comments suggest scepticism about any compromise.
