Trudeau and Lpez Obrador of Mexico were at the White House on Thursday with President Biden to try to project a united front in the face of trade disputes and accusations of American protectionism.
While they agreed to form a working group on regional supply chain issues, including for critical minerals, and struck an agreement to share vaccines, the leaders seemed intent on relaying diplomatic niceties over tackling thornier questions like trade disputes or the surging numbers of migrants.
During a meeting with both leaders on Thursday evening, Mr. Biden said that we can meet all of the challenges if we just speak with one another.
The return of the summit after a five-year hiatus signaled an increased appetite among North American leaders to show a sense of strategic and economic solidarity amid a rise in competition from Asia and Europe. The breakdown in global supply chains and the mass movement of people across the Americas has made cooperation with Mexico and Canada more vital than ever.
Mr. Biden said that the relationship with Canada was one of the easiest he had.
The United States and Mexico were both seen as equal by Mr. Biden in his meeting with Mr. Lpez Obrador. The Mexican president praised Mr. Biden's plan to give citizenship to over 11 million migrants living in the US, a proposal that has gained little steam in Congress.
Each leader refused to answer questions about the American policies that turn asylum seekers back to Mexico. The group would discuss humane ways to address the root causes that drive people north and would confront the flow of drugs toward the U.S.-Mexico border. The group would not discuss policies that have become flash points for immigration activists, including a program that forces some asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are pending.
Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, told reporters that pending litigation prevented the policy, known as Remain in Mexico, from being openly discussed.
More than 70 human rights and immigration advocacy organizations pressed Mr. Biden and his counterparts to discuss what they described as "cruel, ineffective and unlawful" immigration policies.
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People are waiting to cross into the US from Mexico. President Biden has had to rely on Mexico to control migration from Latin America.
There were no accords over disagreements over how each country has handled its trade commitments. The United States Mexico Canada Agreement revision has been in dispute since Mr. Biden took office. The pact sought to update Mexico's labor laws, encourage more auto production in North America, and open Canadian markets for American dairy farmers.
The Canadian government has argued that the tax credit offered to American consumers who buy American-made electric vehicles is in violation of the accord. Mr. Trudeau said that the Biden administration was counter productive in promoting commerce between the two countries.
Ms. Psaki told reporters that they don't view it that way. The electric vehicle tax credit is an opportunity to help consumers.
The Biden administration has accused the Canadian government of practices that favor their domestic dairy farmers and has raised concerns that Mexico's energy policies give state-owned companies an unfair advantage. The U.S.M.C.A. provisions in support of labor rights protection were expected to be renewed by Mr. Biden.
The leaders agreed to share millions of vaccine doses with poorer countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, an official said.
Mexico's president has lashed out at the United States and pursed policies that run counter to American interests, so Mr. Biden was sure to have delicate discussions with him. Since Mr. Biden took office, Mr. Lpez Obrador has taken a more aggressive stance towards American policies.
Mexico has gained leverage in the year that saw a wave of migration from Latin America due to the Pandemic. The importance of maintaining strong Mexican enforcement was made clear in September when thousands of Haitians walked across the border to Texas.
Duncan Wood, the vice president of strategy at the Wilson Center, said that the power balance between the Mexican government and the U.S. government has shifted. Mr. Wood said that Mexican officials know they can hurt the Biden administration.
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Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada, left, and President Lpez Obrador of Mexico, right, were trying to project a united front with Mr. Biden.
The American embargo on Cuba was skewered by Mr. Lpez Obrador this week and he also attacked the Biden administration for helping to fund Mexican media groups. The president said that American financing for Mexican civil society was promoting a coup mentality.
During her trip to Mexico in the summer, Vice President Harris met with Mr. Lpez Obrador and has since been seen as an internal keeper of that relationship. Ms. Harris spoke about the root causes of migration in her meeting with Mr. Lpez Obrador.
During the meeting with Mr. Biden and Mr. Trudeau, Mr. Lpez Obrador warned of the risks of a snarled global supply chain.
He said that the best thing was to strengthen the economies and trade operations in North America. The ports of the Pacific are overwhelmed with merchandise from Asia because of the amount of money circulating throughout North America.
Mr. Lpez Obrador reminded Mr. Biden of his earlier commitment to find a way to offer a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented.
Mr. Lpez Obrador said through a translator that no president in the history of the United States had expressed such a clear and certain commitment to improve the situation of the migrants. I hope that you have the support of both the Democrats and Republicans.
Natalie Kitroeff reported from Mexico City. Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Eileen Sullivan and Ana Swanson contributed to the reporting.
