Donald Trump's envoy suggests talks ‘over the next couple of weeks' will address the Canada-U.S. relationship

Hamilton Spectator

17-05-2025

OTTAWA — Donald Trump's new emissary to Ottawa struck a friendly tone toward his Canadian hosts in a speech at a business summit on Friday, where he dodged any direct reference to the trade war his president launched and alluded to discussions about how Canada and the U.S. can 'move forward' with their relationship.
In a speech at the B7 Summit of business groups from G7 countries — a private sector preview of next month's political summit of wealthy democracies in Kananaskis, Alta. — U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra spoke of his family connections to Canada and noted how his Dutch parents were 'liberated by Canadians' in the Netherlands during the Second World War.
Pacing the stage and speaking without notes, Hoekstra also declared the United States is 'open for business' and keen to work with other countries on economic and security issues. He congratulated the federal government for bringing King Charles III to deliver the throne speech to open the new session of Parliament later this month, and joked how he liked Prime Minister Mark Carney's language from his recent White House visit, when he told President Trump that he had consulted the 'owners' of Canada on the campaign trail and they rejected his desire to annex the country as the 51st American state.
'Owners ... I like that. I'm just going to steal it from Carney,' said Hoekstra, who earlier this week told
the National Post
that the Trump administration is 'done' with any expectation it will absorb Canada.
What remains, however, are tariffs imposed by both countries on the others' imports, after Trump first slapped duties on Canadian steel and aluminum, along with a host of other exports to the U.S., including Canadian-made cars. The federal government has responded with retaliatory tariffs on tens of billions of dollars worth of American imports.
On April 28, Carney's Liberals won enough seats to form another minority government, with the prime minister promising to renegotiate Canada's economic and security ties with the U.S. and declaring that the previous relationship between the countries — where Canadians relied largely on the U.S. for trade and military co-operation — was 'over.'
Hoekstra, who was sworn in as U.S. ambassador to Canada last month, said Friday that 'there will be discussions over the next couple of weeks' about how Canada and the U.S. 'move forward on a number of serious issues.'
Referring to the business groups attending the summit, Hoekstra added that the U.S. wants 'to partner with you in things that secure our countries and our people.'
Earlier, in a scrum with reporters at the event, Canadian Chamber of Commerce president Candace Laing said the American tariffs are causing a 'ton of damage' to businesses and workers. Earlier this week, Honda sparked concerns when it announced a two-year pause on plans for $15 billion in electric vehicle production in Ontario, citing a plunging profit forecast for this year.
Touted as a major addition to Ontario's manufacturing base, the project hit roadblocks from a
'We've gone from a chill to a deep freeze,' Laing said.
Asked whether the Canadian economy can bounce back and return to strength and business certainty if the tariffs are lifted, Laing added that it is 'too early to tell.'
Addressing the business summit earlier Friday, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley — who ran unsuccessfully against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination last year — urged those listening to keep doing business with the U.S. and predicted the current trade tensions are temporary.
It's just messy right now,' Haley said. 'This too shall pass.'
In an interview with the Star, newly-appointed Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said she will approach the U.S. relationship with 'respect and professionalism,' with the goal of reaching a solution to the crisis that benefits Canada.
'We need to advocate for Canadian interests and Canadian economic interests. And that's something that I have been focused on in multiple portfolios,' Anand said, referring to her past roles as minister of procurement, national defence, transport, and as president of the Treasury Board.
Anand echoed Carney in rejecting Trump's desire to make Canada part of the U.S., and suggested any deal to get out of the current trade war would benefit both sides.
'Out focus is to get to the negotiating table to ensure that we are advancing Canadian interests in a way we have done historically. Canada is the only G7 country that has a free-trade agreement with every other G7 country. There's a reason for that. It's because we are able to advance Canadian interests at the negotiating table while reaching a mutually beneficial result,' Anand said.
Looking ahead to next month's summit in Alberta, former Justin Trudeau adviser Gerald Butts — who informally advised Carney during the Liberal leadership race and beyond — told the audience at the business event in Ottawa that he has low hopes for what can be accomplished at the upcoming G7, where global trade concerns driven by Trump's tariffs are expected to dominate.
'Survival would be good. And I worry about that ... There are so many things that could go wrong,' said Butts, noting Trump's unpredictability, as well as how the host country of Canada just went through a national election.
'My expectations are low. I hope they are exceeded.'
With files from Raisa Patel