Putting the Roadmap back on track
Statement marking the first anniversary of the Roadmap for a Renewed U.S.-Canada Partnership:
Today marks the anniversary of the Roadmap for a Renewed U.S.-Canada Partnership, the ambitious plan unveiled by President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau a year ago. President Biden called it a blueprint “to revitalize and expand our historic alliance and steadfast friendship to overcome the daunting challenges of today and realize the full potential of the relationship into the future.”
The challenges to the Canada-U.S. relationship have only grown more daunting since the Roadmap’s release. Recently, several jarring events have cast shadows on what for many decades has been one of the world’s strongest and most productive economic relationships. That is why it is even more important for Canada to deliver on its comprehensive and wide-ranging Roadmap commitments.
To that end, we should seize the opportunity to work with our U.S. counterparts in addressing climate change by reducing GHG emissions and laying the foundations for the coming energy transition. At a practical level, we should be building integrated and secure supply chains for EV and battery production, developing joint strategies for green-tech innovation, and investing in the infrastructure required for cross-border transmission of clean electricity.
Amid rising geopolitical risks, Canada must align closely with the United States on continental security – including cybersecurity – to counter both foreign interference and domestic extremism. We must also make necessary investments to secure and strengthen our shared economic infrastructure.
Some in the United States will point to recent border disruptions to justify ‘Buy America’ and other protectionist policies. To ensure they are unsuccessful, Canada must follow the Roadmap, embrace a Team Canada approach to diplomacy, and deliver a clear message to the Biden White House and Congress: To strengthen North American competitiveness and prosperity, we need to eliminate barriers to cross-border trade – not create new ones.
