“The United States and Canada will work together to deter illegal border crossings,” Biden said during a speech to Parliament in Ottawa.

Biden also hailed Canada’s commitment to welcome 15,000 migrants from the Americas.

In the background of this agreement, there is the question of “Roxham”, an irregular passage by which some 40,000 immigrants arrived from the United States in Quebec last year, thus avoiding official entry points.

These arrivals have warmed the political climate in Canada, a country where this problem is relatively new, and have caused some tension with Washington.

Ottawa would agree to receive some 15,000 asylum seekers from Latin America through legal channels, as has just been announced. The move would ease pressure on the US southern border.

In January, US authorities made more than 128,000 arrests for attempts to enter the country illegally from Mexico.

Joe Biden was applauded several times during his speech, especially when he spoke of the commitment of the two countries in their support for Ukraine.

He also said at the joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that “so far” Beijing has not handed over weapons to Moscow, despite fears expressed by Western countries.

“That doesn’t mean they won’t, but they haven’t done it yet,” he said.

“I don’t take China lightly. I don’t take Russia lightly,” Biden said, while considering that reports of a rapprochement between these two countries – after a summit between Presidents Xi Jinping from China and Vladimir Putin from Russia this week – were probably “exaggerated”.

The governments in Washington and Ottawa are among the largest providers of support to Ukraine following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

“Friend”

“It’s a great pleasure to have a great friend here,” Trudeau said, before a bilateral meeting in Parliament itself.

The United States and Canada are “two peoples” who share the “same heart” and “in case of disagreement” they solve their problems “with friendship and goodwill”, he said.

The relationship between Washington and Ottawa is infinitely more cordial than under Republican President Donald Trump, but there are some sticking points.

international agenda

Military spending was also on the bilateral agenda as Washington pushed for an effort by NATO members amid the war in Ukraine and rising tensions with China.

Ottawa is far from devoting 2% of its gross domestic product (GDP) to military spending, the threshold set for the countries of the Atlantic alliance.

In particular, the modernization of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad) is on the table.

Biden also referred to US attacks in Syria the day before, in which pro-Iranian fighters were killed.

“Make no mistake, the United States does not seek conflict with Iran, but it is prepared to act forcefully to protect its people,” he told the joint conference.

On the other hand, the economy is an unavoidable issue for these two very integrated countries and partners of Mexico in the North American Free Trade Agreement (T-MEC).

Trade

“We will continue to work together to create jobs, build healthier and more sustainable economies and societies,” said the Canadian President.

Biden has adopted a vast plan of subsidies for the energy transition, the “Inflation Reduction Act” (IRA), intended to support production and technological development on American soil.

The main trading partners of the United States fear that this change will reduce their sales.