Red Passport Podcast

Decoding CUSMA with Louise Blais

S03E12

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Recorded Saturday May 16, 2026

Louise Blais returns for a special episode on CUSMA, joining Peter Donolo and Jeremy Kinsman to unpack the next phase of North American trade negotiations.

Now serving as Québec’s trade representative, Louise explains why the July 1 review date is not a cliff edge, but a critical moment to assess where the agreement is working and where pressure is building. The discussion turns to tariffs on steel, aluminum, vehicles and other key sectors, and why those measures may be hurting American competitiveness as much as Canadian exporters.

The three also look at Canada’s leverage, the risks and opportunities of deeper North American economic integration, and what this week’s Trump-Xi summit may mean for Canada as Washington and Beijing continue to shape the global trade and security environment.

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