Neither the Canadian prime minister nor the U.S. trade chief, in their own public accounts, has named China as a reason the U.S.–Canada trade talks collapsed.

However, the China factor is very much present.

What’s in it for China?

If the North American manufacturing alliance breaks down, China will be better placed to maintain its economic leverage over the global supply chain. Exports are its lifeline to keep the economy going.

Meanwhile, Washington sees Canada as a potential backdoor for made-in-China products to flood the U.S. market.

Canada has sent mixed signals to the United States on trade. It signed an EV deal with China and then talked about a “Fortress North America” to bolster the region against overseas competitors such as China.

In this episode, Terri unpacks the core issues facing the U.S.–Canada trade talks and how Ottawa’s approach to Washington may not be its own.

• Read more: China Factor Looms Over Collapse of US–Canada Trade Talks

Views expressed in this episode are opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

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Terri Wu is a Washington-based freelance reporter for The Epoch Times covering education and China-related issues. Send tips to terri.wu@epochtimes.com.

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