Washington/Ottawa (Rajeev Sharma): US President Donald Trump on Tuesday dismissed the relevance of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) during a visit to a Ford manufacturing plant in Dearborn, Michigan, saying the United States does not need the trade pact or vehicles produced in Canada and Mexico.
Speaking to reporters at the factory, Trump said the US should focus on domestic automobile production. “The problem is we don’t need their product. We don’t need cars made in Canada, we don’t need cars made in Mexico, we want to make them here,” he said.
The visit to the Ford plant, where the company manufactures its flagship F-150 pickup trucks, was part of Trump’s broader push to highlight American manufacturing strength and counter concerns over a softening job market. Trump claimed that US automakers are performing strongly and praised the quality of domestically produced vehicles.
“All U.S. automakers are doing great,” he said, adding that the “quality is unbelievable.”
Trump described the USMCA—known as CUSMA in Canada—as having no “real advantage” for the United States and said it was “irrelevant” to him. The trade agreement is scheduled for a mandatory review this year, with formal discussions expected to begin in mid-January ahead of a July deadline.
The president has previously referred to the agreement as “transitional,” suggesting it may have outlived its usefulness. He reiterated similar views during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House last October.
While the agreement has helped shield Canada from broader tariff-related economic fallout, key sectors such as steel, aluminium, lumber and automobiles have faced significant pressure. The upcoming review will present the three partner countries with options to either renew the pact for another 16 years, withdraw from it, or allow it to lapse without renewal.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has indicated that several long-standing trade disputes will be central to the talks, including Canada’s dairy supply management system and alleged subsidies in the softwood lumber industry. He has also raised concerns over non-tariff barriers such as Canada’s Online Streaming Act and Online News Act, as well as provincial bans on US alcohol imposed in response to American tariffs.
Greer has further suggested that the administration is considering dismantling the trilateral agreement in favour of separate bilateral trade deals with Canada and Mexico.
Trump’s Michigan visit marked his third trip to a battleground state in just over a month as he continues to promote his economic agenda. The visit comes after Republicans faced setbacks in recent off-year elections, where voter concerns over rising living costs played a key role.
Although Trump has previously dismissed affordability concerns as politically motivated, his administration has imposed sweeping tariffs on US trading partners while granting notable exemptions to the auto sector. These include extending reduced import duties on foreign-made auto parts through 2030.
Addressing workers on the factory floor, Trump also highlighted tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles and expressed confidence that his administration would prevail in the US Supreme Court, which is currently reviewing the legality of his broad tariff policies.
