A report that Washington wanted a “down payment” from Canada just to begin talks on extending the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) provoked a wide Canadian consensus that we should refuse to pay for the “privilege” of sitting at the table. That instinct is right. But refusal is not a strategy. If Canada wants to protect its interests, it needs to show up with a clear plan. Here, I propose one built around an underappreciated truth in Washington.
We are about to have the door slammed in our face.
