Trudeau, Biden to meet before leaders' summit where all eyes will be on Mexico
PM also expected to meet one-on-one with Mexican president next week
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden are set to meetjust before the start of a summit of North American leaders next week in Mexico City.
The one-on-one encounter is unfolding at a relatively tranquil moment in Canada-U.S. relations unlike several other meetings in recent years dominated by conspicuous friction points.
This time, there's no urgent trade negotiation, electric vehicle irritantorblocked border bridgeto worry about.Thespatsnarlingatrusted-travel program may beeasingand Line 5 remains open while a dispute over the oil pipeline unfolds, slowly,in the courts.
Trudeau and Biden will meet Tuesday morningbefore the three-leader summit begins.
When it comes to Canada, the United States'policy priority is increasingly to protecttrade supply chains to lessen reliance on China.
It's why the U.S. military is considering funding mining projects in Canada. And it's why Canada and Mexico got a pass from Buy America-type policies on electric vehicles in a new U.S. law.
At a briefing Friday, White House officials cited supply chains as an agenda item in Mexico City and mentioned three specific products: semiconductors, critical minerals and electric vehicles.
Canada's ambassador to the U.S. toldCBC News she expects Trudeau and Biden to go through a long list of bilateralissues, including supply chain concerns, aswell as foreign policyissues like the war in Ukraine andCanada's just-released Indo-Pacific strategy.
"The prime minister is very focused on our joint economy and strengthening supply chains," KirstenHillman said in an interview with CBC Radio's The Houseairing Saturday.
"We've had a record growth in intra-North American trade this past year, and so he's going to want to make sure that the discussion centres around how to not only recognize that but continue that trend."
Trudeau is also expected to meet with Mexican PresidentAndrs Manuel Lpez Obradornext Wednesday, during the leaders' summit.
The summit will bethe three leaders' firstin-person meeting since 2021 and will feature a mix of formal talks and more casualgatherings, according to the Mexican government.
Pre-summit briefings in Washington on Friday underscored the extent to which serious challenges involving Mexico are dominating attention in the U.S. in the summitbuildup.
Canada was mentioned severaltimes at Friday's White House pre-visit briefing. Mexico was mentioneddozens of times.
It was the same later Friday at a related panel discussion at the Wilson Center think-tank in Washington featuring U.S. Assistant Secretary of StateBrian Nichols.
U.S. attention is seized with a migration surge from Mexico, violence and corruption linked to drug cartels (and areported breakdownin U.S.-Mexico co-operation on the issue)and re-nationalization in the Mexican energy sector.
Trudeau said he plans to bring up the energy issue with Lpez Obradorin an effort toresolvethedispute over Mexico's energy policies.
The prime minister said he and Biden will be "fairly clear"with Lpez Obradorthat the issue "needs to be understood as a way to help Mexico develop, a way to continue to draw in investments from companies in Canada and the United States."
Asked if he hoped to make progress at the summit in Mexico City, Trudeau said: "Absolutely."
Nichols was asked multiple questionsabout whether he fears democratic backsliding in Mexico, about the murders of journalists there and about whether Mexico's energy reformscould lead to a trade case.
Biden himself will drawfocus to America's southern borderjust before the trip.
Biden will make his first trip as president to the Mexican border on Sunday. In the face of domestic criticism, he just announceda series of newmigration-control measures.
In response to questions about Mexico, Nicholswas diplomatic.
He saluted the courage of Mexican authorities in arresting Ovidio Guzman, a 32-year-old leader in the Sinaloa Cartel and a son of jailed boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.
Thearresttriggered an eruption of violence.
As for Mexico's controversial election reforms, Nichols sidestepped questions about whether he feared an erosion of democracy there.
In an exchange, he alluded to the U.S.'s own recent troubles."What's today's date?" he asked rhetorically in the Friday event, held on the anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol.
"[It's] Jan. 6," Nichols said."We discuss these issues from the point of view of humility not as one country preaching to another country."
As for Canada, he was asked about an ongoing dispute involving the Nexus trusted-travel program. Processing of Nexus cards has been disrupted due to a dispute over whether U.S. employees should have diplomatic-style immunity while working at Nexus processing centres in Canada.
The countries are working on a pilot program at the border to ease the backlog.
"We're making important progress," Nichols said."I'm optimistic this can be resolved."
Meanwhile, Hillman pushed back Friday against suggestionsthat the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, which includes major investments in green energy, could suck investment away from similar projects in Canada.
"Ihave heard thatline of analysis as well and I don't agree. I think that investing in green technology development and green technology application in the United States or anywhere is important and it's essential," Hillman said, noting that some American funds are open to Canadian enterprises as well.
With files from Catherine Cullen, Emma Godmere and Reuters
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