rki.news

TORONTO — Newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump rattled North America last year by threatening harsh tariffs on Mexico and Canada, accusing both of fueling an “invasion” of migrants and fentanyl into the United States.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum pushed back, insisting Mexico must be treated with respect by its partners. She pointedly noted that another trading partner also faced “a very serious problem of fentanyl consumption.” Her target, however, was not the United States, but Canada.
Her remarks underscored a rare rift between Washington’s two neighbors. Canadian officials, meanwhile, were quietly defending themselves in private talks and even at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago dinners, calling it unfair — even “insulting” — to link Canada with Mexico on fentanyl and immigration. Some went so far as to float the idea of a bilateral trade deal excluding Mexico.
Now, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is heading to Mexico in an effort to repair strained ties. His visit aims to reassure Sheinbaum’s government and to reinforce bilateral trade, as both countries look for ways to reduce their economic dependence on the United States.