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Canadian Envoy on Relations with US: We're Family

Natalie Liu

   WASHINGTON - The United States and Canada are closing their borders to
   "to all nonessential traffic,"U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian
   Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday.Trump tweeted that
   the decision was reached "by mutual consent."

   The announcementcomesascountries around the worldrampup measures to
   shield their citizens fromCOVID-19,whichwas first reported in Wuhan,
   China.

   Earlier, Trump's decision to stop European Union visitors
   fromtravelingtothe United Stateswascondemnedby the EU on the
   groundsthat it was done unilaterally and without prior consultation.

   Trump and Trudeau made clear the border closing would not affect
   bilateral tradeorthe U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement,which was
   ratifiedin Canadalast week. The treaty, an update of the North American
   Free Trade Agreement, known as NAFTA, had been ratifiedearlierin the
   U.S. and Mexico.

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