US President Donald Trump and the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau has agreed to close the US-Canada border to all non-essential travel in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus.
“We will, by mutual consent, while closing our northern border with Canada,” Mr. Trump tweeted.
He said the trade will not be affected.
Both countries have issued travel bans sweep but have retained the exception to one another.
Canada relies on the US for about 75% of its exports.
The two leaders discussed the changes on Wednesday, said, Trudeau.
“I want to be clear that although the essential travel will continue,” he said at a press conference.
“No matter who you are or what you do, this is the time when you should be focused on your health and your neighbors are not, you will lose your job, you will run out of money for food or medicine.”
What’s in the agreement?
Details of the final agreement have not been released in writing but both leaders have emphasized that cross-border trade will not be blocked.
The supply chain should be preserved so that the truck will not be affected, said Trudeau.
“That is something that we remain committed to,” he added.
About $ 2 billion in goods and services crossing the US-Canada border each day.
Canada needed to travel because of “urgent reason” another will also not be affected, said Trudeau.
There is no set period of time for how long the border closure will take place.
What drives the ban?
Mr. Trudeau’s government has previously refused to close the border to his country’s most important trading partners.
“Nearly 200,000 people cross the border every day, and that the border and the traffic that crosses the border which is literally a lifeline for both Canada and the United States on both sides of the border,” said Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland on Tuesday.
“We get our groceries thanks to the truck driver who was driving back and forth across the border. There is a need for medical supplies and drugs back and forth across the border.”
But the two leaders have kept the idea of travel restriction on the table because the two countries have struggled to stop the outbreak Covid-19.
Earlier this week, Mr. Trump warned against discretionary trips and said that “we have very strong emergency power when it comes to something like this, both in the southern and northern border”.
What about the US-Mexico border?
During the White House press conference on Wednesday, Mr. Trump said his government would launch a new crackdown on migrants or asylum seekers crossing the US-Mexico border illegally in an attempt to stem an outbreak of coronavirus.
Mr. Trump said he would call a statute that allows American high officials of public health, a general surgeon, to block people or goods from a particular country or place to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
The President said the move could happen as soon as Wednesday, but that the government was not planning to fully close the border with Mexico.
“We will not close it, but we are calling for a specific provision that will allow us great latitude for what we do,” he said.
Mexico’s foreign ministry did not immediately comment.
Mr. Trump has made illegal immigration on the southern border of his signature issues in the White House, although deportation under the administration remains lower than in the Obama era.
What’s new in the US and Canada?
New coronavirus has maintained a steady parade along with the two countries.
The US has nearly 8,000 cases Covid-19 in all 50 states and has seen 138 deaths so far.
Canada – which has about nine of the US population – have been 598 confirmed cases, with eight deaths.
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