![\"Officials](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1b17140d57aafc78f203fd69c13a226f.jpeg\")
Former chief trade negotiator Steve Verheul speaking to members of the media in Montreal, Que., on Jan. 25, 2018. (Credit: Christinne Muschi\/Bloomberg files) <\/p>\n Former chief trade negotiator Steve Verheul speaking to members of the media in Montreal, Que., on Jan. 25, 2018. (Credit: Christinne Muschi\/Bloomberg files) <\/p>\n
Canada and the United States<\/a> remain \u201cfar apart\u201d in their trade<\/a> negotiations as the July deadline for a review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA<\/a>) looms, says former chief trade negotiator Steve Verheul.<\/p>\n \u201cThe U.S. is looking for Canada to make concessions on sensitive issues, and Canada is looking to see the U.S. move on big issues,\u201d he said on Thursday at the Public Policy Forum\u2019s Canada Growth Summit in Toronto.<\/p>\n As a result, Verheul said he doesn\u2019t see a lot of room to negotiate in the short term, so the July deadline for reviewing CUSMA \u2014 which U.S. President Donald Trump<\/a> negotiated in his first term \u2014 is likely to pass without any major announcement.<\/p>\n Some news reports have said Canada and the U.S. were close to a grand bargain last fall, but that it fell apart at the 11th hour. Verheul said the U.S. is more likely to come to the trade table as a result of its domestic politics rather than anything Canada does.<\/p>\n \u201cCanada can\u2019t force the U.S. to a conclusion or force the U.S. to an end game,\u201d he said. \u201cWe can\u2019t entice them to an end game.\u201d<\/p>\n Verheul said the good news is that he does not believe Mexico is making much progress in its trade negotiations with the U.S. either, and he believes the U.S. wants to protect North America as a trade zone. That means all three countries coming together could jumpstart trade discussions.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a more common ground there with respect to how we deal with the North American market,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The problem, Verheul said, is that as Canada diversifies its trade by striking deals with countries outside North America, it becomes harder to agree to protective trade zones with Mexico and the U.S.<\/p>\n