Canadian PM appoints new chief trade negotiator to U.S.

OTTAWA, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday announced the appointment of veteran diplomat Janice Charette as the country's next chief trade negotiator to the United States.

According to a press release from the prime minister's office, Charette will work closely with Canada's Ambassador to the United States Mark Wiseman to manage the upcoming review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

The CUSMA entered into force on July 1, 2020, for a 16-year term. Under the terms of the agreement, the three nations are required to launch a joint review on the sixth anniversary of its implementation, which falls on July 1, 2026.

Canada and the United States maintain one of the world's largest trading relationships, with more than 3.5 billion Canadian dollars (about 2.5 billion U.S. dollars) worth of goods and services crossing the border daily. Under the CUSMA framework, more than 85 percent of merchandise trade between the two neighbors is tariff-free. Enditem