The first meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Feb. 13 produced some “substantive issues” of interest to the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA).
The CTA noted that in the press conference following the meeting, Trump spoke about the “outstanding” Canada-U.S. trade relationship.
While there were no specifics provided on the future of NAFTA, instead the leaders affirmed in a joint statement of the “importance of building on (the) existing strong foundation for trade and investment and further deepening our relationship, with the common goal of strengthening the middle class.”
The two leaders agreed that border security continues to be “a top priority,” but struck a balanced tone in terms of security versus trade.
Trump suggested that “tweaks” could be undertaken to improve the border for both countries.
He described the U.S.’ trade relationship between Canada to be “much less severe” than the situation at the southern border with Mexico.
Both leaders said they “look forward to the expeditious completion of the Gordie Howe International Bridge (between Windsor and Detroit), which will serve as a vital economic link between our two countries.”
The trucking alliance took note of the two leaders’ joint statement recognizing “the success of pre-clearance operations for travelers” and their commitment “to establishing pre-clearance operations for cargo.”
