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CUSMA Not Renewed: What the Trade Deal Impasse Means for Your Wallet

  July 2, 2026 | Trade & Economy The mandatory six-year review of Canada's most important trade agreement came and went this week — and it did not go the way Ottawa hoped. On July 1, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer confirmed that the United States will not renew the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) in its current form, sending the deal into a more uncertain, year-by-year footing right as Canadians are already navigating tariffs, a soft labour market, and a technical recession. Here is what actually happened, why it matters, and what it could mean for your budget in the months ahead. The short version CUSMA isn't dead. It remains legally in force until 2036. But instead of locking in a fresh 16-year term, the deal now shifts into annual reviews, with existing tariffs on steel, aluminum, autos and softwood lumber unresolved for now. What happened on July 1 CUSMA was built with a mandatory joint review every six years. If Canada, the U.S. and Mexico had a...

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A New Era or More of the Same? Putin’s Unprecedented Fifth Term

 


In a widely anticipated outcome, Russian President Vladimir Putin has clinched a fifth term in office following an election process that has drawn international criticism for its lack of genuine competition and freedom. The election, which official results claim Putin won with 87% of the vote, has been described by the White House as ‘preordained’ and hardly reflective of a ‘free or fair’ democratic process.

The victory grants Putin another six years at the helm, extending his rule which has been marked by an increasingly authoritarian grip on power. Critics, including Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, have voiced concerns over the election’s legitimacy, suggesting that history will not look kindly upon Putin’s tenure.

Despite the controversy, Putin’s win was celebrated by his supporters as a testament to the trust and hope placed in his leadership. However, opposition voices and international observers have condemned the election, pointing to the suppression of dissent, the stifling of independent media, and the absence of credible monitoring as evidence of the election’s orchestrated nature.

As Putin embarks on this new term, the world watches with a mix of anticipation and apprehension, pondering what this extended period of Putin’s leadership will mean for Russia and its relations with the global community.

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