Ramsey calls CUSMA signing 'a huge mistake'

The federal NDP'sinternational trade critic says Friday's signing of CUSMA the trade deal originally christened by President Donald Trump as the USMCA eliminates any hope Canada might have had to get the tariffs on steel and aluminumremoved.

"I visited Washington this week with the Canada-U.S. inter-parliamentary group, and this is the message we heard from Americans: that if we sign this deal without the removal of these tariffs, no one can can anticipate them being removed in the future,"Essex MP Tracey Ramsey toldAfternoon Drivehost Chris dela Torre.

"This was a huge betrayal to people who work in the steel and aluminum sector ... [and]also to the manufacturing sector."

Ramsey also expressed concernthat the text of the agreement wasn't finalized until Friday's signing.

"So what we ... signed onto in principleback in September, ended up becoming something different," she said.

When asked what American politicians told her about their support for continued tariffs on Canadiansteel and aluminum, Ramsey said Republicans and Democrats alike want them to be lifted.

Tap on the player to hear Ramsey's conversation on CBC Radio'sAfternoon Drive.

"Everyone that we spoke to indicates it's up to one individual who is the president and those who are around him and really have his ear," she said.

"Signing this deal was our only piece of leverage, our only bargaining chip, and now we have given that up without the removal of these tariffs."