NEWS UPDATE: Janice Charette Named Chief Trade Negotiator to the United States

By Annie Koshy

Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed the Honourable Janice Charette as Canada’s next Chief Trade Negotiator to the United States, placing one of the country’s most experienced public servants at the centre of Canada US trade strategy ahead of the scheduled CUSMA review.

Charette brings four decades of experience in public policy and diplomacy. She has served twice as Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, the most senior role in Canada’s public service, and has represented Canada internationally, including as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. Her appointment signals a deliberate choice: institutional memory, procedural fluency, and diplomatic depth at a moment when trade stability cannot be assumed.

While initial reporting focused on the upcoming CUSMA review, the Prime Minister’s Office clarified that Charette’s mandate extends more broadly. She will act as a senior advisor to the Prime Minister and to the Minister responsible for Canada US Trade, Dominic LeBlanc, and will work closely with Canada’s Ambassador to the United States, Mark Wiseman.

CUSMA, which came into force on July 1, 2020, includes a built in six year joint review provision beginning July 1, 2026. That review is not a renegotiation by default, but it is a formal checkpoint that allows any party to raise concerns about implementation and future direction. Given current US industrial policy shifts and growing scrutiny around supply chains, manufacturing rules, and tariff frameworks, this review carries real strategic weight.

The scale of the Canada US trade relationship underscores why this appointment matters. More than 3.5 billion dollars in goods and services cross the border daily. Over 85 percent of merchandise trade remains tariff free under CUSMA. The agreement governs supply chains that are deeply integrated across energy, automotive manufacturing, agriculture, technology, and defence related industries.

The Prime Minister also expressed gratitude to Kirsten Hillman, who served as Chief Trade Negotiator in addition to her responsibilities as Ambassador to the United States. Her tenure covered a period of significant trade turbulence and institutional strain.

This transition does not represent instability. It reflects preparation.

The United States remains Canada’s largest trading partner, but it is also undergoing structural shifts in industrial policy and trade posture. The scheduled CUSMA review comes at a time when supply chains, domestic production incentives, and geopolitical alignment are increasingly intertwined.

Appointing a negotiator with Charette’s depth of experience suggests that Ottawa understands the stakes. Trade policy is no longer a background technical file. It sits at the intersection of economic resilience, political leverage, and national strategy.

As the July 2026 review approaches, the question will not simply be whether CUSMA holds. It will be how Canada positions itself within a North American framework that is evolving under pressure.

This appointment is an early signal of how seriously the government intends to approach that moment.