Canada, U.S. Columbia River Treaty negotiations in jeopardy
The United States government has paused negotiations with Canada to finalize the renewal of a long-standing treaty covering the use of the Columbia River in the wake of President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada and threats to annex the northern neighbor. The United States and Canada last July reached an agreement in principle to manage the mighty Columbia River, an economic and environmental powerhouse that starts in Canada and flows through Washington and Oregon on its journey to the Pacific Ocean. The two countries negotiated for six years to update the 60-year-old treaty. But talks to finalize the treaty are “currently paused” while the Trump administration reviews all pending international agreements, said Adrian Dix, head of the British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions in Canada. Officials for the U.S. State Department and the White House have not responded to requests for comment.