Lutnick Says Canada Is Pathetic, Trade Talks to Resume in July

[Financial News]  
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Howard William Lutnick, the United States Secretary of Commerce, is taking a hard line on Canada, the Financial Times (FT) reported on the 18th, local time.
According to FT, Lutnick said the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), the three-way trade pact between the U.S., Mexico and Canada, is a "bad deal" and must be renegotiated. He added that talks would begin in July.
Lutnick also said that Donald Trump believes the USMCA should be "reviewed and reset properly" once renegotiations begin in July.
Lutnick made the remarks on the final day, June 17, at the 2026 Semafor World Economy Summit, hosted by the U.S. media outlet Semafor in Washington, D.C. from June 13 to 17.
He criticized reports that Canada was using a delay strategy in trade talks with the U.S., saying, "That's the worst strategy I've ever heard. They suck."
The USMCA is a trade agreement that Trump reworked in 2020 during his first term, saying the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was unfavorable to the U.S. and needed to be revised in America's favor.
Lutnick also said that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney "has a problem with us."
A Commerce Department spokesperson later said the minister's remarks had been misquoted. The spokesperson claimed Lutnick was describing unfair trade imbalances with Canada and explaining "how Canada sucks off of" the U.S. economy, which is worth as much as $30 trillion.
Canada, once one of the U.S.' closest allies, has grown increasingly distant from Washington since Trump returned to power. Relations have deteriorated steadily since he launched a trade war immediately after reentering the White House in January last year.
Canadian consumers have staged boycotts of U.S. products, causing the U.S. to lose more than $1 billion a month in goods trade alone.
Trump also inflamed public sentiment by calling Canada the U.S.' "51st state," and retaliatory tariffs were imposed.
Stores in Canada have opened "Made in Canada" sections, and even hats bearing the slogan "Canada is not for sale" have appeared. Some provincial governments have also cut contracts with Starlink, the satellite internet service run by Elon Musk, a close Trump ally who once headed the administration's Department of Government Efficiency.
The number of Canadian tourists visiting the U.S. has plunged 25%, and most American products, including liquor, have been removed from state-run stores.
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dympna@fnnews.com Song Kyung-jae Reporter