After a year of rhetorical escalation and limited formal engagement, North American trade has entered a new phase: structured positioning ahead of the USMCA review. Three developments in the past week have shifted the calculus on both sides of the border:

• Canada’s trade mission to Mexico signals Ottawa is preparing a coordinated trilateral strategy ahead of the USMCA review — not a purely bilateral posture with Washington.
• The appointment of Janice Charette as Chief Negotiator signals a decisive shift from political messaging to operational execution.
• President Trump’s public comments linking the Detroit bridge corridor to trade negotiations indicate Washington is ready to formalize talks — a shift Canadian officials are taking seriously.

Taken together, these developments mark the transition from political theatre to negotiated outcomes. The door to shape the review process is open. The window to have influence — in both Washington and Ottawa — is finite.

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