Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Tuesday the creation of a new advisory committee to help shape Canada’s economic and security relationship with the United States, as the country prepares for a key review of its continental trade pact.

The Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations will bring together leaders from business, labour and industry to provide strategic advice on cross-border trade and investment.

The committee will be chaired by Dominic LeBlanc, who serves as president of the King’s Privy Council and minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade and intergovernmental affairs.

Carney said the new body will help ensure Ottawa draws on a wide range of expertise as it approaches the upcoming review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, which is set for July 2026.

“Canada is approaching its economic relationship with the United States with focus, discipline, and unity,” Carney said in a statement. “Our goal is a strong economic partnership with the United States that creates greater certainty, security, and prosperity for all.”

The federal government says about 85 per cent of Canada’s trade with the United States remains tariff-free, giving Canada one of the lowest average tariff rates among major U.S. trading partners.

Members of the advisory committee include prominent figures from across the country, such as former cabinet minister Lisa Raitt, former Conservative leader Erin O’Toole, and former Quebec premier Jean Charest, along with executives and labour leaders from key sectors.

The committee is scheduled to hold its first meeting on April 27.

LeBlanc said the group will help strengthen collaboration between governments, workers and businesses at a time when Canada is seeking to reinforce its economic position in North America.

“Canada is strongest when governments, workers, businesses, and industry leaders pull in the same direction,” he said.

The Canada-U.S. trade relationship remains one of the largest in the world, with nearly $3.6 billion in goods and services crossing the border daily in 2024, according to federal figures. Since CUSMA came into force in 2020, bilateral trade has grown by more than 27 per cent.

The agreement, which replaced NAFTA, is set to run until 2036 but includes a mandatory joint review every six years. If the three countries fail to agree on an extension in 2026, annual reviews will follow until a decision is reached or the pact expires.

Ottawa says the new advisory committee will help position Canada to protect and expand its trade advantages as those negotiations unfold.