Biden hosts the leaders of Canada and Mexico for a summit mixing friendship affirmations and trade tensions
President Biden hosted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador at the White House on Thursday, in the first trilateral summit of North American leaders since 2016. The meeting was marked by expressions of warmth between the leaders and underlying tensions on trade, migration, and climate change.
"We can meet all the challenges if we just take the time to speak to one another, by working together," Biden said. He and Vice President Kamala Harris first met with Trudeau, then López Obrador, and finally brought both leaders together for three-way talks in the East Room.
Biden complimented Trudeau, the first leader he met with virtually as president, on "one of the easiest relationships you can have as an American president and one of the best." Trudeau said while he and Biden have "a lot of work to continue to do," it was "something that we're always great partners on." The Canadians brought special concerns about Biden's "Buy American" policies.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
After his meeting with Biden, López Obrador said he is grateful for the U.S. president's "treatment of respect" toward Mexico, but also said he pressed Biden to enact temporary work visas for Mexican and Central American migrants. "Migrants should not be rejected when growth requires a workforce that in reality is insufficient both in the United States and in Canada," he said at a news conference.
Mexico and Canada both complained about a proposal in Biden's pending Build Back Better bill that would offer U.S. consumers a $7,500 tax credit for buying an electric vehicle, with that credit applying only to U.S.-made cars after 2026 and rising to $12,000 if the vehicle was made at a unionized U.S. factory. Trudeau said the provision threatens "over 50 years of integrated auto-making in our two countries which was mostly reaffirmed in the Canada, U.S., Mexico free trade agreement, the new NAFTA."
Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said Thursday evening that the summit was "very successful," adding, "There is an ideological, political affinity, and good chemistry between the three and that is going to mean a new stage in the relationship."
The "three amigos" summit was a near-annual tradition started by former President George W. Bush in 2005, continued under former President Barack Obama, and suspended under former President Donald Trump, who had frosty relationships with Trudeau and López Obrador's predecessor but a more cordial rapport with López Obrador himself.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
The mental health crisis affecting vets
Under The Radar Death of Hampshire vet highlights mental health issues plaguing the industry
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The Onion is having a very ironic laugh with Infowars
The Explainer The satirical newspaper is purchasing the controversial website out of bankruptcy
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'Rahmbo, back from Japan, will be looking for a job? Really?'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine fires ATACMS, Russia ups hybrid war
Speed Read Ukraine shot U.S.-provided long-range missiles and Russia threatened retaliation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New York DA floats 4-year Trump sentencing freeze
Speed Read President-elect Donald Trump's sentencing is on hold, and his lawyers are pushing to dismiss the case while he's in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Wyoming judge strikes down abortion, pill bans
Speed Read The judge said the laws — one of which was a first-in-the-nation prohibition on the use of medication to end pregnancy — violated the state's constitution
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US sanctions Israeli West Bank settler group
Speed Read The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on Amana, Israel's largest settlement development organization
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Gaetz ethics report in limbo as sex allegations emerge
Speed Read A lawyer representing two women alleges that Matt Gaetz paid them for sex, and one witnessed him having sex with minor
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden allows Ukraine to hit deep in Russia
Speed Read The U.S. gave Ukraine the green light to use ATACMS missiles supplied by Washington, a decision influenced by Russia's escalation of the war with North Korean troops
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
What does the G20 summit say about the new global order?
Today's Big Question Donald Trump's election ushers in era of 'transactional' geopolitics that threatens to undermine international consensus
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
Joe Biden's legacy: economically strong, politically disastrous
In Depth The President boosted industry and employment, but 'Bidenomics' proved ineffective to winning the elections
By The Week UK Published