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Le Qu\u00e9bec souhaite un renouvellement de l\u2019accord afin d’assurer un cadre stable et pr\u00e9visible pour nos \u00e9changes \u00e9conomiques.
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J\u2019ai soulign\u00e9 \u00e0 M. Greer que le\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/9sFp8hdfzz<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Christine Fr\u00e9chette (@CFrechette) April 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Fr\u00e9chette described the day, her first foray outside Canada since being sworn in as premier on April 15, as \u201cintense and productive.\u201d<\/p>\n She said she made it clear to\u00a0Greer that the trade war between Canada and the United States is bad for both sides.<\/p>\n \u201cNot only does it hurt the Quebec economy, but also it hurts the wallets of American citizens,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is something I wanted to underline.\u201d<\/p>\n Fr\u00e9chette said her trip came as a reminder to the Americans that Quebec is an important player in the U.S. economy, mentioning its capacity to produce\u00a0aluminum and hydroelectric power.<\/p>\n She said if the United States wants to produce its own aluminum, it will need massive amounts of hydro power, which it does not have.<\/p>\n \u201cI said we have the smelters already in Quebec,\u201d Fr\u00e9chette said. \u201cSo you don\u2019t need to launch new projects, because we can sell our aluminum at competitive prices.\u201d<\/p>\n Fr\u00e9chette, who returns to Quebec Tuesday to chair a Wednesday cabinet meeting, capped her trip with an announcement that career diplomat Louise Blais has been named as Quebec\u2019s representative for the CUSMA talks.<\/p>\n The announcement was made in a joint statement by Fr\u00e9chette and Bernard Drainville, the minister for the economy, innovation and energy.<\/p>\n Blais has a long record in the field. In 2014, she was named Canada\u2019s consul general in Atlanta before serving as the Canadian ambassador to the United Nations from 2017 to 2021.<\/p>\n Fr\u00e9chette\u2019s entourage stressed to reporters that the premier was not in Washington to handle trade negotiations, a role Quebec recognizes as a federal responsibility.<\/p>\n But she used the trip to make Quebec\u2019s case and create a \u201cpositive image\u201d with the Americans, officials said.<\/p>\n Talks to renew CUSMA are set to kick off in July and have already sparked tensions between the U.S. and Canada.<\/p>\n Last week, Greer issued a threat, saying the U.S. might have to take retaliatory action against Canada over its rejection of American wines and spirits.<\/p>\n Several provinces pulled U.S. alcohol from their shelves last year to protest tariffs.<\/p>\n Both\u00a0Fr\u00e9chette and Ontario Premier Doug Ford have rejected<\/a>\u00a0the idea of returning U.S. alcohol to stores.<\/p>\n “The short answer is no.”<\/p>\n Newly appointed Quebec Premier Christine Fr\u00e9chette has ruled out returning American alcohol products to SAQ shelves.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think that we should make concessions before having discussions with our American partners.”<\/p>\n Read the latest:\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/UDAbe0eotx<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Montreal Gazette (@mtlgazette) April 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Prime Minister Mark Carney also responded to Greer\u2019s complaint about trade irritants.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s an irritant?\u201d Carney asked. \u201cFifty per cent tariffs on steel, 50 per cent tariffs on aluminum, 25 per cent on automobiles. All the tariffs on forest products. Those are more than irritants \u2014 those are violations of our trade deal.\u201d<\/p>\n On Monday, Fr\u00e9chette tried extending a hand.<\/p>\n \u201cBuilding an economic relationship based on unpredictability and uncertainty is impossible,\u201d she said in a social media post. \u201cTo prosper, we need a beneficial accord and not tariffs. This is what Quebecers want.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is what our American partners want. This is what I want also. I thank (Greer) for the frank and constructive exchanges. Quebec remains a reliable and unavoidable partner. We extend our hand to build a strong economy without ever giving in.\u201d<\/p>\n Her first meeting Monday was with Canadian Ambassador Mark Wiseman.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it was important for me to come to the United States quickly,\u201d Fr\u00e9chette said, arriving at the embassy. \u201cI am here to defend Quebec\u2019s interests here in Washington.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know we are an important strategic player in many industrial sectors. It\u2019s important to remind them.\u201d<\/p>\n Fr\u00e9chette\u2019s trip followed a series of early moves as premier, including a\u00a0meeting Friday in Montreal with Quebec\u2019s economic players<\/a>.<\/p>\n Quebec\u2019s steel, aluminum and lumber industries have been hit hard by tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.<\/p>\n The United States is Quebec\u2019s main trading partner. In 2024, nearly three-quarters of Quebec\u2019s exports were destined for the U.S. <\/p>\n But the province\u2019s aluminum and steel exports have been hit with 50 per cent tariffs. Quebec lumber faces 45 per cent tariffs when it goes across the border.<\/p>\n Washington has also been demanding concessions on the\u00a0supply management system, which protects dairy farms<\/a>\u00a0and jobs in Quebec.<\/p>\n Quebec\u2019s economy has scrambled to diversify given the new reality. The provincial government has also stepped up with\u00a0various programs to help industries cope<\/a>\u00a0with tariffs.<\/p>\n After her meeting on Friday with Quebec\u2019s economic players, Fr\u00e9chette praised their resilience, noting that in the last year, exports to non-U.S. markets were up 10 per cent.<\/p>\n \u201cThe tumultuous period is not over,\u201d Fr\u00e9chette said, standing in the lobby of the Caisse de d\u00e9p\u00f4t et placement du Qu\u00e9bec in Old Montreal. \u201cWe are all aware of this.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is why I am going to Washington \u2014 to explain the importance of the Quebec-U.S. trade relationship and to explain how much the tariff war hurts not only the Quebec economy, but the American economy as well.<\/p>\n \u201cI will try to get this message to percolate. I will try to influence the events to come.\u201d<\/p>\n Following her meeting with Wiseman on Monday, Fr\u00e9chette attended a roundtable of American and Canadian business associations before moving on to private meetings with some U.S. Congress members.<\/p>\n Present for the roundtable were the U.S. Aluminum Association, the U.S. National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association as well as a representative of General Motors.<\/p>\n The list of other political meetings included sessions with U.S. House of Representatives members Nicole Malliotakis and Claudia Tenney of New York and Adrian Smith of Nebraska, all Republicans.<\/p>\n
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