How Will Canada's Defence Spending Impact the 2026 CUSMA Review?

In today’s episode of the Expert Series, Xavier Delgado, Research Director of the Washington Forum on the Canadian Economy at the Wilson Center’s Canada Institute, discusses the linkages between the Canadian-American defence and trade relationships.  Looking at the aftermath of Canada’s announcement of its intent to meet the 2% NATO defence spending benchmark at the 2024 Washington NATO Summit, Mr. Delgado discusses both the feasibility of this and the impacts failing short may have on trade and economic relations in the near-future. With the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) up for review in 2026, it is vital Canada take steps to repair its defence capacity to avoid any possible impact on the renegotiation.  As a young leader in the Canada-US policy sphere, Mr. Delgado provides a crucial perspective on the path North American trade may take in the coming months. The CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security.Learn more: CDA Institute