The U.S.-Canada deal that doesn’t need CUSMA to happen

The structural conditions for a durable softwood lumber settlement are more favourable now than they have been in decades.

Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson, left, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The U.S.-Canada softwood lumber dispute remains one of the longest bilateral trade issues, dating back to the 1980s, writes Daowei Zhang. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade and White House photograph by Molly Riley

Opinion

BY DAOWEI ZHANG

July 29, 2026

On July 1, the United States opted against renewing the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. However, unlike the NAFTA negotiations in 2018, the U.S. economy is much more vulnerable to disruption this time around. As the U.S. pushes its neighbour to “pay” for a renewal, Canada ...

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