The Obama administration is now attempting to make progress on North American border security and regulatory cooperation bilaterally with Canada. The Canada Gambit is that greater progress is possible without Mexico, and that the U.S.-Canada negotiations will improve North American security, productivity and competitiveness. It is also a gamble that Mexico can be accommodated later, and that bilateral talks with Canada will
be enough to sustain interest and generate concessions from interested parties.

Caption
A US flag flies off the stern of a tour boat at the Port of Los Angele in California on July 31, 2025. (Getty Images)