Mexico, US, and Canada Meet in Trilateral Summit
The leaders of Mexico, Canada, and the US have met today in a White House Summit to discuss economic tensions, immigration matters, COVID-19, and more.
After being ditched by Donald Trump, the first North American summit in 5 years - dubbed the 'Three Amigos' by Biden - has taken place Thursday between the United States, Canada, and Mexico in the White House.
US President Joe Biden met, separately, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and then the three leaders met altogether.
After the Biden-led "Buy American' tensed up economic ties between the US and Canada, and the Mexican electricity bill between the US and Mexico, the Summit was orchestrated to find common grounds within the framework of the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) free trade agreement.
The "Buy American" policies affected vehicle trade as the Biden Administration posited a tax credit proposal for US vehicle manufacturers, which, according to Canada, violates trade agreements. The White House was adamant that it does not.
The Mexican energy bill, on the other hand, was a large-scale reform of electricity mechanisms in Mexico which sidelines US energy producers and restores governmental control on Mexican electricity production rather than free-market policies.
No major announcements were made at the summit; however, it was made clear that it was aimed at opening dialogue on immigration pressures, trade tensions, COVID-19, and competition with China.
"We have to end the pandemic and take decisive action to curb the climate crisis. We have to drive an inclusive economic recovery," Biden said. "We have to manage the challenge of unprecedented migration in our hemisphere."
After the Summit was concluded, the White House announced plans to develop a North American strategy to combat climate change, which entails methane reduction. In addition, Mexico, the US, and Canada vowed to donate COVID-19 vaccines to Latin America and the Caribbean.