Chrystia Freeland’s decision to resign as Canada’s finance minister isn’t merely a political earthquake that’s shaken Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. It’s set to change the coming trade fight between the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Freeland was sometimes called the Minister of Everything in the Canadian capital. The former deputy prime minister had her hands on many important files, including the decision to hit China with tariffs on electric vehicles. Two days after Donald Trump won the U.S. election, Trudeau restarted a dormant cabinet committee on Canada-U.S. relations — and put Freeland in charge.
There was a reason for that. It was Freeland who led the Canadian side during the bruising, but ultimately successful, renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2018 — which became the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Canadian magazine Maclean’s ran a cover photo of her smiling with the headline: "You’re Welcome, Canada.”
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