Carney’s trade advisory group meets for 1st time, welcomes new member

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new advisory council on Canada—U.S. trade met for the first time today, ahead of trade negotiations with President Donald Trump’s White House that are set to begin over the coming months.

Carney recently struck the new committee in preparation for the scheduled review of the Canada-United States-Mexico agreement on trade, better known as CUSMA, which must start by July.

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc chaired the closed-door meeting of the council’s roughly two dozen members, which include leading Canadian business and labour leaders.

LeBlanc’s office says the committee reviewed Canada’s priorities for CUSMA renewal talks but did not say what those priorities are.

The trade advisory group includes former Conservative party leader Erin O’Toole and former premiers Jean Charest and P.J. Akeeagok.

The advisory panel also welcomed a new member today: Eliot Pence, the founder of the Canadian defence tech firm Dominion Dynamics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2026.