Canada's Follow-Through on Commitments to U.S. at North American Leaders' Summit

Rally in Montreal, March 29, 2023, against closing of Roxham Road border crossing due to expansion of Safe Third Country Agreement.

The visit to Canada of President Joe Biden can be seen as the U.S. following up on commitments Canada made at the 10th North American Leaders' Summit in Mexico City on January 10, in which Biden, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador participated.

Also known as the Three Amigos Summits, these meetings were begun under the governments of U.S. President George W. Bush, Mexican President Vicente Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin in 2005 shortly after the U.S. launched the war in Iraq. At that time, there was a major push to integrate the military and police apparatus of the three countries under U.S. homeland security in the name of security against terrorism.

This year's summit focused on four areas in which the U.S. expects Canada to step up its support for U.S. aims and escalate its integration into the U.S. economy and war machine:

1) supply chains for semiconductors for computer chips,
2) critical minerals and resources which are strategic for military and economic purposes,
3) migration of peoples, and
4) talk about equity and anti-racism to make it appear that there is a balance between what the rich want and what the people want.

Announcements made by Trudeau and Biden during the latter's visit to Canada followed through on the first three of these areas.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office on March 24 stated:

"Working together with the U.S., we will advance a cross-border semiconductor manufacturing corridor, beginning with the signing of an arrangement between Canada and IBM to expand domestic research and development and advanced packaging of semiconductors. Semiconductors enable advances in clean energy, communication, computing, and more, and Canada has a vital role to play in the North American semiconductor ecosystem. Canada's investment of up to $250 million in this sector will also improve North American competitiveness and supply chain resiliency, help cut pollution, foster economic and national security, and create good middle-class jobs."

The issue of critical minerals is primarily aimed at establishing supply chains for these materials that are not connected to China, but is typically discussed in the name of "greening the economy" and other high ideals. Thus, "The leaders agreed to work together to promote trade in clean goods, including clean steel and aluminum, and continue to collaborate on renewable energy and electric vehicle supply chains, the critical minerals value chain, nuclear energy, and aligning zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure to create new opportunities for people to thrive and have great careers."

Migration across the U.S. border into Canada, especially by those who cannot avail themselves of official channels to transit borders or seek refugee status, which the U.S. and Canada deem "irregular migration," was further restricted in the March 24 agreements. The two leaders stated, "To address irregular migration, we are expanding the Safe Third Country Agreement to apply not only at designated ports of entry, but across the entire land border, including internal waterways, ensuring fairness and more orderly migration between our two countries. This change will come into effect at 12:01 AM (EDT) on Saturday, March 25, 2023." The situation facing those making "irregular" border crossings is already potentially deadly, and this announcement will only make matters worse.

Regardless of the moniker the "Three Amigos," the Canadian government's servility to U.S. aims at the discussion in Mexico in January, and in the announcements made during Biden's visit to Canada have nothing to do with the fraternal relations of mutual benefit, friendship and peace that the peoples of Canada and Quebec seek with the United States or any other country.

(Photo: Solidarité sans frontière)

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This article was published in

Volume 53 Number 3 - March 2023

Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2023/Articles/M530037.HTM

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