Steve Scherer and Trevor Hunnicutt

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The leaders of Mexico, Canada, and the United States are expected to reach an agreement on new methane curbs, and the donation of COVID-19 vaccines, when they meet for their first meeting in five years, senior officials from the Biden administration said.

The U.S. officials expect the three North American countries to agree to cut methane emissions in their oil-and-gas sectors by 60% to 75% by 2030, as the countries work to curb https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/nearly-90-countries-join-pact-slash-planet-warming-methane-emissions-2021-11-02 the potent greenhouse gas.

Canada and Mexico also will announce that they will donate millions of vaccines, originally loaned by the United States to them, according to one official who refused to be identified.

These deals form part of President Joe Biden’s effort to revive his so-called Three Amigos working group, which was disbanded under Donald Trump.

Washington seeks to strengthen alliances with other countries in order to help the economy reorient to lower carbon emissions, combat the pandemic and increase competition with China.

Marcelo Ebrard, the Mexican Foreign Minister, stated that “the most important aspect of this summit was that we updated a vision for North America’s Future.”

The White House’s North American Leaders’ Summit could be impacted by tensions with Ottawa, Mexico City and the auto sector.

The leaders are set to commit to prohibiting the import of goods made with forced labor, a policy the administration has been aiming at China https://www.reuters.com/world/china/exclusive-biden-will-push-allies-act-china-forced-labor-g7-adviser-2021-04-24. Activists in the West and politicians from Western countries accuse China for using forced labor to build its northwestern Xinjiang region. Beijing refutes this allegation.

Biden seeks to resolve a crucial political problem: the destruction of supply chains caused by the pandemic, which has led to shortages and inflation. Biden’s assistants hope to reduce the country’s dependence on China as a major competitor.

The meeting with Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexican President and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will see the U.S. president launch a North American Supply Chain Working Group to discuss concerns such as where to get the crucial minerals necessary to develop electic vehicles in America.

Canada and Mexico have concerns about Biden’s proposed ‘Buy American’ provisions and an electric-vehicle-tax credit. This would favor U.S. unionized producers.

Chrystia Freedomland, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister, stated that “Job One” in the U.S. is to first make American counterparts realize the severity of Canada’s current approach on this matter.

Mexico and Canada are both the top trading partners of the United States. Cars and trucks are their most traded manufactured products. Canada and Mexico desire a level playing ground as they vie to draw companies into the electric vehicle supply chain.

Besides EV tax credits, Trudeau is likely to bring up Enbridge (NYSE:) Inc’s Line 5 oil pipeline https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/canadian-lawmakers-call-action-us-canadian-leaders-pipeline-dispute-2021-04-15, which the state of Michigan wants to close on environmental grounds. To trigger bilateral talks, Canada incited a 1977 treaty on pipelines.

One of the U.S. officials stated that Canada had invoked the treaty, so there is a limit on what we can discuss. However, he added that Biden was “prepared to talk about anything” brought up by Trudeau.

Biden may address Mexico’s contentious bill https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/mexican-congress-pushes-back-debate-power-bill-into-2022-2021-11-04 to change electricity market rules to give a state-owned power company priority over private investment.

Lopez Obrador indicated Wednesday that he would discuss the plan with Trudeau or Biden, adding that the past governments have rigged market to favor private interests.

“It is very simple,” he said at a press conference. We want electricity prices to remain stable and we also need to stop abuses by foreign corporations, particularly from private firms.

The legislation is being criticized by the U.S. government as well as business groups, who fear that it may not comply with Mexico’s trade requirements.

    “We closely track Mexico’s proposed energy reforms,” said one U.S. official, without elaborating.

U.S. officials stated that they do not want to be focused on the U.S.-Mexico border at 1,960 miles (3,155km) but rather on the “root causes” of immigration from Latin America and the Caribbean.