Canada has urged the United States and Mexico to extend the current North American free trade agreement for an additional 16 years, amid renewed remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting that Canada could become the 51st state. Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s minister for U.S. trade, formally communicated this recommendation in a letter sent Tuesday to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Mexico’s Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard.

The request comes ahead of a scheduled July review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the most recent version of a trilateral trade pact that has linked the economies of the three countries since the early 1990s. The agreement’s framework allows for either annual reviews or a single 16-year renewal term.

LeBlanc, accompanied by Canada’s Chief Trade Negotiator Janice Charette, met with Greer in Washington on Tuesday. LeBlanc acknowledged that the U.S. administration may prefer annual reviews, potentially introducing uncertainty regarding the agreement’s future stability. The current U.S. administration under Trump has maintained a protectionist stance on trade, and LeBlanc indicated this approach may signal an inclination towards frequent reassessment of the agreement.

Tensions heightened after Trump revived his frequent comments about Canada’s economic challenges and posited on social media that Canada should be considered the 51st state of the U.S. This post, linking to an article highlighting Canada’s economic downturn, was subsequently shared by U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra. The remarks drew sharp rebuke from Canadian officials, including Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who firmly dismissed the notion and reaffirmed Canada's sovereignty.

Prime Minister Mark Carney declined to call for any diplomatic response toward Ambassador Hoekstra, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the bilateral relationship with the U.S. as both Canada’s largest trading partner and key security ally. Carney also described the volume of trade disputes relative to both Canada and Mexico, noting that the U.S. has raised approximately 30 trade irritants with Canada versus nearly 60 with Mexico. He highlighted the possibility for continued cooperation but stressed that the U.S. could withdraw from USMCA with six months’ notice.

Since the USMCA’s implementation, Canada and Mexico have largely been shielded from the Trump administration’s broad protectionist tariffs, though some specific measures—such as those affecting aluminum exports—have disrupted the integrated North American economy. Trump’s repeated suggestion that Canada should merge with the U.S. has also sparked backlash from Canadian citizens, with reports of increased cancellations of trips south of the border.

Meanwhile, U.S. political figures have also vocalized concern. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a prominent Democratic presidential hopeful, criticized Trump’s trade policies toward Canada as “chaotic tariffs and mindless cruelty” during a virtual event with Democrats Abroad, underscoring the political sensitivity surrounding the bilateral relationship.