Whereas Washington is in turmoil following what seems to be one more assassination try on President Trump, Premier Christine Fréchette will embark on her first international journey to the U.S. capital on Monday.
She is going to take part in a sequence of conferences, simply two months earlier than negotiations on the revision of the Canada-United States-Mexico Settlement (CUSMA) start on July 1.
Quebec companies have been severely impacted by a sequence of tariffs imposed by President Trump’s administration since he took workplace in 2025.
Fréchette is scheduled to fulfill with Canadian Ambassador Mark Wiseman, take part in a roundtable dialogue with U.S. and Canada-U.S. enterprise associations, and meet with unnamed congressional representatives.
The US is Quebec’s foremost buying and selling companion. In 2024, almost three-quarters of Quebec’s exports (73.5%) have been destined for the U.S. market, with a price of $91.2 billion. These exports consisted primarily of plane, aluminum, plane engines, and mining merchandise resembling gold, silver, platinum group metals, and their alloys.
However since March 2025, U.S. tariffs have hit a number of Canadian industrial sectors laborious, regardless of protests from Ottawa and the CAQ authorities.
Amongst different issues, a 50 per cent tariff is imposed on Quebec aluminum and metal.
Since October, Quebec lumber has been topic to a complete tariff of 45 per cent when crossing the U.S. border.
In February 2025, Premier François Legault traveled to Washington along with his provincial counterparts to attempt to curb the U.S. companion’s protectionist goals, however the go to didn’t have the specified impact.
Fréchette is now making an attempt to inject her personal momentum into the upcoming talks and to leverage her affect.
The very latest settlement she managed to safe with the specialist medical doctors’ federations (FMSQ) might assist foster a notion of a shift in tone and management model in comparison with her predecessor, Legault.
Since his election as chief of the CAQ on April 12—precisely two weeks in the past—Fréchette has been racing to spice up his get together’s recognition, which has been hitting new lows in ballot after ballot, only a few months forward of the October common election.
Final week, she launched her brand-new cupboard in addition to a brand new physique, the Council of Areas, composed of elected officers from her get together representing all areas of Quebec.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews