What trade agreements was Marc Garneau involved with as Canada’s prime minister?
Executive summary
Marc Garneau was never Canada’s prime minister; he served as Minister of Transport (2015–2021) and briefly as Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2021, and his trade involvement flowed from those cabinet roles rather than a prime ministerial office [1] [2]. During his time in cabinet he repeatedly promoted ratification and defence of major trade deals—most prominently the renegotiated North American agreement known as the USMCA (the “new NAFTA”)—and campaigned for diversification through agreements such as CETA and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans‑Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) [3] [4] [5].
1. Garneau was not prime minister; his trade role came as a cabinet minister
The question presumes Garneau was prime minister, but public records show he served in Justin Trudeau’s cabinets as Minister of Transport and later as Minister of Foreign Affairs, so any trade agreements he was “involved with” were as a minister and as chair of cabinet committees, not as head of government [1] [2].
2. Central focus: promoting and pushing ratification of the USMCA (the renegotiated NAFTA)
As chair of the Cabinet Committee on Canada‑United States Relations, Trade Diversification and Internal Trade, Garneau actively promoted the renegotiated North American agreement—referred to in government materials as the “new NAFTA” or USMCA—and publicly advocated for its ratification as a boost to Canadian middle‑class jobs and cross‑border commerce [3] [4].
3. Advocacy for broader diversification: CPTPP and CETA were part of the portfolio he advanced
Garneau linked transportation and infrastructure investments to Canada’s ability to take advantage of trade deals with Europe and Asia, referring to the Canada‑Europe Trade Agreement (CETA) and the government’s work on the CPTPP as elements of a broader diversification strategy he supported while minister [5] [6].
4. Trade disputes and tariffs — pressing the US to lift Section 232 measures
A recurring theme in Garneau’s trade activity was confronting U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs under Section 232; he used visits and public speeches in the United States to urge elimination of those tariffs and framed the removal as tied to the newly concluded NAFTA negotiations [3] [4].
5. Domestic trade facilitation tied to international agreements
Garneau repeatedly argued that improving ports, roads and rail would let Canadian exporters capitalize on the new trade agreements the government had secured, and he announced infrastructure investments—framed as helping firms exploit market access created by those deals—while minister [6] [5].
6. Foreign affairs tenure shifted his trade posture into diplomacy, not deal‑making
When appointed foreign minister in January 2021 Garneau brought his trade experience to diplomatic forums and to bilateral relations—particularly Canada‑U.S. ties—but the central negotiating role for NAFTA renegotiation had been associated with Chrystia Freeland and trade officials, meaning Garneau’s foreign‑affairs brief emphasized advocacy and alliance coordination more than direct trade negotiations [7] [8].
7. Conclusion and reporting limits
Concisely: Garneau’s trade involvement as a senior cabinet minister centered on promoting ratification of the renegotiated NAFTA/USMCA, advocating for CETA and the CPTPP as diversification tools, pressing the U.S. to lift Section 232 tariffs, and linking infrastructure investments to trade opportunities—actions undertaken in his capacities as Minister of Transport and chair of related cabinet committees rather than as prime minister [3] [4] [5] [6]. Sources do not support any claim that Garneau acted as prime minister; if the intent was to ask what trade agreements he helped advance while in cabinet, the record above summarizes the principal ones documented in government releases and reporting [1] [2].