Northeastern governors look to sidestep Trump administration in Canadian trade war
Northeastern governors are looking to bolster their economic ties with America's northern neighbor and counteract the Trump administration's combative trade policies.
In a letter sent Monday, governors from six states, including Massachusetts and New York, invited the premiers of six Canadian provinces for a meeting in Boston in the coming weeks.
'As Governors of New England, we want to keep open lines of communication and cooperation and identify avenues to overcome the hardship of these uninvited tariffs and help our economies endure,' the letter, led by Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, reads. 'As we continue to navigate this period of great uncertainty, we are committed to preserving cross border travel, encouraging tourism in our respective jurisdictions, and promoting each other's advantages and amenities.'
President Donald Trump threatened 25 percent tariffs on a broad swath of imports from Canada, before pausing those in March, though the specter of implementation could be used as leverage in negotiations. Canada was spared from so-called reciprocal tariffs because of its inclusion in the revised North American trade deal, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
Five of the six New England governors signed onto the letter, including Janet Mills of Maine, Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Dan McKee of Rhode Island and Phil Scott of Vermont, as did Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York. Scott is the lone Republican in the group. Republican New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte, the only New England governor not to sign on, was invited to join the letter and the meeting but declined, according to Healey's office.
The six Canadian provinces sent the letter are Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
It's not the first time individual states have reached out to other countries in an effort to avoid getting caught in a standoff between the Trump administration and key trade partners. California Gov. Gavin Newsom made a direct appeal last month to other countries to spare his state from retaliation over Trump's trade policies.
The letter comes as newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney heads to the White House Tuesday to meet with Trump. The tariff whiplash and Trump's repeated talk of annexing Canada has strained the relationship between the neighboring countries.
Tourism from Canada to the U.S. is already lagging, and businesses are bracing for an even steeper drop. And the threat of a trade war is cause for concern among New England leaders, whose states rely heavily on Canadian trade.
'President Trump's tariffs are the largest tax hike in American history — and they're devastating to the small businesses, family farms, and local manufacturers,' Hochul said in a statement. 'New York and Canada have a $50 billion trade relationship, and Trump's tariffs are hurting our businesses hard.'
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