OTTAWA – Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc will travel to Washington, D.C., on March 6, 2026, for meetings, his office said Thursday.
The visit lands as the trilateral review of the Canada‑U.S.‑Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) is underway and a day after Prime Minister Mark Carney publicly criticized recent U.S. trade measures as inconsistent with the pact. It also follows a ruling on March 4, 2026, by a judge of the U.S. Court of International Trade ordering refunds tied to tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a set of duties the U.S. Supreme Court ruled illegal in February 2026.
CUSMA review in a high‑stakes year
CUSMA, known in the United States as USMCA, entered into force in 2020 with two structural checkpoints designed to provide predictability for cross‑border commerce: a six‑year review and a 16‑year overall term, with the option to renew the term if all three countries agree.
The agreement’s review and sunset structure, set out in Article 34 of the CUSMA/USMCA text, was designed to reassure investors that market access will not hinge on short‑term political shifts, while still giving governments a formal mechanism to revisit contested provisions.
Key dates and mechanics:
– July 1, 2020 – CUSMA takes effect.
– 2026 – The agreement’s first six‑year joint review occurs, giving the parties a chance to affirm continued application and, if they choose, reset the agreement’s 16‑year term.
– 2036 – Without a three‑party decision to extend, the pact continues toward its 16‑year sunset while governments meet annually to discuss its continuation.
LeBlanc’s Washington stop occurs against that timetable, with his office confirming the trip but not releasing further details on participants or agenda. Trade lawyers and policy officials are watching closely to see whether Canada uses early encounters in the U.S. capital to test proposals it will carry into the formal review.
Carney says trust must be rebuilt
Speaking in Australia on March 4, 2026, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada’s free trade pact with the United States “effectively has been broken in the short-term by U.S. actions.” He added that “certain protocols under CUSMA weren’t followed when the United States imposed tariffs on Canada,” framing the 2026 review as a venue to “re‑establish the trust” that guides business and investment decisions across the border.
Canada’s free trade pact with the United States “effectively has been broken in the short-term by U.S. actions.”
Carney’s remarks place the procedural obligations within CUSMA-such as consultations, advance notice requirements and the use of specialized committees-at the center of Ottawa’s approach to the review, while keeping the government’s criticisms squarely attributed to the prime minister’s account of recent U.S. steps. For Canadian manufacturers and agricultural exporters that rely on integrated North American supply chains, the question is whether those procedural breaches are treated in Washington as a political disagreement or as a rules‑of‑the‑road problem that must be fixed.
U.S. court orders refunds after IEEPA tariffs struck down
LeBlanc’s trip also follows a ruling on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, by a judge of the U.S. Court of International Trade that businesses are owed refunds for tariffs President Donald Trump imposed under IEEPA. That decision comes in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in February 2026 that found those duties illegal.
The International Emergency Economic Powers Act is a Cold War‑era statute that allows a U.S. president to restrict trade and financial flows in response to “unusual and extraordinary” foreign threats, but its use as a broad tariff tool has been increasingly contested in U.S. courts and in Congress. The Court of International Trade adjudicates customs and trade‑law disputes and applies Supreme Court precedent; its decisions can be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. While distinct from CUSMA’s state‑to‑state dispute process, the refund order adds a legal backdrop to current tariff questions affecting North American supply chains and underscores the limits on unilateral U.S. trade actions.
What the Washington trip signals
– Confirmed travel: LeBlanc is scheduled to be in Washington, D.C., on March 6, 2026, for meetings, in what officials describe as part of regular engagement with the U.S. administration and key lawmakers on trade.
– Review context: The visit coincides with the 2026 CUSMA review window, when the three countries evaluate the agreement’s operation and decide whether to extend its term or seek changes that could affect everything from auto rules of origin to digital trade.
– Recent developments: Canada’s prime minister has alleged required protocols under CUSMA were not followed when the United States imposed tariffs, and a U.S. trade court has ordered refunds tied to tariffs invalidated by the Supreme Court, sharpening the legal and political context for any discussions LeBlanc will have in Washington.
LeBlanc’s office confirmed the Washington meetings for March 6, 2026. Further details on who he will meet-and whether Ottawa will table specific proposals for the CUSMA review-are expected closer to his arrival.
