“The only winning move is not to play.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney must be a fan of sci-fi movies, as this memorable line from the 1983 Oscar-nominated movie “WarGames” neatly sums up Canada’s current CUSMA negotiating stance.
It’s becoming clear that the Liberals have determined that there’s no good deal to be had with U.S. President Donald Trump. Rather than go through the motions, Carney seems to have pivoted to a completely new tactic: not playing the game. The current dynamic is surely far more appealing than the alternative: signing a revised U.S. trade agreement that’s substantially less palatable than what was achieved by either Brian Mulroney or Justin Trudeau in years gone by.
