Latest news with #CanadaUSrelations
CTV News
5 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Muskoka to welcome Canada's premiers in July
Premier Doug Ford is hosting Canada's premiers in Muskoka this summer. In an invite to all 13 members of the Council of the Federation (COF), Ford is requesting their presence to shore up their commitment to work together to build a stronger, more united country. 'With President Trump taking direct aim at our economy, we need to build and we need to build fast,' said Premier Ford. 'Together, premiers are seizing the momentum coming out of the recent First Ministers' Meeting in Saskatoon to move the projects that will unleash the full potential of Canada's economy forward. There's never been a more important time for all of us from coast to coast to coast to work together to build the most competitive economy in the G7.' The meeting July 21 to 23 will focus on encouraging premiers to move forward with nation-building projects, how to navigate Canada-U.S. relations, as well as working toward making Canadian communities safer. Once in Muskoka, Canada's provincial leaders will sit with national Indigenous organizations to discuss economic development and reconciliation. During his time as chairperson of the Council of the Federation, Ford has coordinated a Team Canada approach to fight tariffs, all the while helping Canada remain on equal footing with the U.S., which included a visit to Washington D.C. with the complete cadre of premiers. Quick Facts
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Canadians divided on whether U.S. is an ‘ally' or ‘enemy' country: poll
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the rain after arriving on Air Force 1 at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Friday, May 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) OTTAWA — Faced with a trade war they didn't start, Canadians are divided on whether they see the United States as an 'enemy' or an 'ally,' a new poll suggests. The Leger poll, which was conducted online and can't be assigned a margin of error, surveyed more than 1,500 people between May 30 and June 1. Almost a third of respondents said they view the U.S. as a 'neutral country,' while 27 per cent said they consider it an 'ally' and 26 per cent see it as an 'enemy country.' Just over a third of men said they consider the U.S. an ally, compared with one in five women. Almost 30 per cent of women said they view the U.S. as an enemy, compared with 22 per cent of men. Older Canadians, those at least 55 years of age, were more likely to consider the U.S. an enemy than younger Canadians. Regionally Albertans were most likely to consider the U.S. an ally while Ontarians and British Columbians were most likely to see it as an enemy. The difference is starkest between political party supporters, with 44 per cent of Conservative supporters saying they view the U.S. as an ally, compared with 17 per cent of Liberal supporters and 12 per cent of NDP supporters said the same. Comparatively 16 per cent of Conservative supporters said they view the U.S. as an enemy country, while 36 per cent of Liberal supporters and 41 per cent of NDP supporters said the same. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday to double his levies on steel and aluminum to 50 per cent. He claimed the measure will protect the country's national security and domestic industries. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said his government will need to take 'some time' to craft a response to the increased U.S. tariffs. The number of Canadians that report seeing the U.S. as an enemy country has dropped by six points since mid-March. At that time, 32 per cent of survey respondents told Leger they viewed the country as an enemy. The number of Canadians that view the U.S. as an ally also decreased by two percentage points since March, from 29 to 27 per cent, while the number that view it as a neutral country increased by six percentage points, from 24 to 30 per cent. Andrew Enns, Leger's executive vice-president for Central Canada, said that, broadly speaking, the patterns haven't changed much since the organization asked the question in February — when 27 per cent of respondents said they viewed the U.S. as an enemy and 30 per cent said they viewed it as an ally. Enns said the decline in the number of people saying the U.S. is an enemy likely reflects the overall sentiment on tariffs. 'It's still obviously there and, you know, clearly now we're dealing with higher steel tariffs, but the commentary coming from the White House and the Trump administration seems to have dissipated a bit and that's probably helping just tone things down,' he said. Enns said Canada also has a new prime minister with a mandate that might 'take the edge off things.' 'I think that just keeps things more at a moderate level, and I think that reflects in people maybe feeling a little less threatened by the U.S.,' Enns said. Enns said political and business leaders have also sent a consistent message that the U.S. remains an important trading partner. He said that may encourage Canadians to believe there's a way to 'work things out.' The polling industry's professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025. Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press
Globe and Mail
03-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Mayors in border communities call on Ottawa to boost support for duty-free shops
A group representing Canadian land border duty-free stores has released an open letter signed by 15 mayors from border communities, calling on Ottawa to provide more support for the shops. The strain on the Canada-U.S. relationship has led to a drop in border traffic, and the stores are struggling to stay afloat as a result, said Barbara Barrett, executive director of the Frontier Duty Free Association. The shops had previously faced down the COVID-19 pandemic, she said. Drew Dilkens, the mayor of Windsor, Ont., said that duty-free shops in his region are seeing a 40-per-cent drop in sales. The letter also says that many stores are reporting revenue losses of 60 per cent to 80 per cent in just the past few weeks. The letter urges the federal government to provide immediate liquidity for the hardest-hit stores; to issue a ministerial directive that would reaffirm the export status and remove regulatory uncertainty; and to align excise tax policy with the export status so stores can fairly compete with their U.S. counterparts. How a Canadian suit maker got slammed by Trump's China tariffs Ms. Barrett said they would need to figure out the specific details of the liquidity ask, but she pointed out that the industry is small and 'we don't need much.' Mike Bradley, the mayor of Sarnia, Ont., said 3,000 jobs at independently owned duty-free stores across Canada are at stake. 'The message is very, very simple – this is a crisis,' he said. 'This is not a fat cat industry. The people we've spoken to who have these particular operations across this country are ordinary working people who live in their community, employ people in their community, and give back to their community.' Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Canada's Carney unveils economy-focused cabinet amidst US trade war
Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled a new team promising "decisive action" on his ambitious economic agenda, amidst a trade war with the US and President Donald Trump's repeated remarks undermining Canada's sovereignty. The new cabinet of 28 ministers includes some significant changes, including a new foreign minister to handle the currently fraught US-Canada relationship. "Canada's new ministry is built to deliver the change Canadians want and deserve," Carney said in a statement. The reshuffle - two weeks after the elections - brings a mix of familiar names as well as political newcomers. A new US-Canada team Carney has made a number of changes to the core team of ministers handling the strained relationship with its southern comes after Carney's recently meeting with Trump at the White House, after which he said Trump was willing to negotiate a new trade member of parliament (MP), Dominic Leblanc, who has overseen a number of cabinet positions, most recently international trade, will now focus on Canada-US trade and breaking down internal trade barriers within the country - a key campaign pledge. Toronto-area MP Maninder Sidhu, takes over for Minister of International Trade. Carney has also named a new foreign minister, Anita Anand, who held a number of top roles in former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet, including defence. Melanie Joly was shuffled out of foreign affairs and given the industry portfolio. Former justice minister Gary Anandasangaree now takes on the role of public safety, a department that will oversee border security, which Trump has cited as a key reason for imposing tariffs on Canada as well as Mexico. David McGuinty, who previously held that position, now oversees defence. Two prominent names have been pushed out of the cabinet - Bill Blair, who oversaw defence, and Jonathan Wilkinson, natural resources minister. Rookie MP Tim Hodgson, first elected in April, is taking over at natural resources. Along the Canada border, small-town America feels sting of Trump's trade warHow Canada voted - in chartsCanada has been 'over reliant on the US for too long', says Joly Fresh faces in key roles The new cabinet is a balance of fresh faces and experienced ministers. Some notable names remaining in their roles include Francois-Philippe Champagne, who stays on as finance minister, a position he has held since March. Chrystia Freeland, the deputy prime minister under Trudeau and a former foreign affairs and finance minister in his government, stays in transport. Steven Guilbeault will continue to oversee Canadian culture and official cabinets in Canada by tradition balance representation of the country's regional, linguistic and ethnic new cabinet includes representation from Canada's prairie provinces, where there are growing musings about separation amid a broader sense of western alienation from the power centre in Ottawa. Carney is also continuing Trudeau's policy of maintaining gender parity in his cabinet. Some of the new faces include former broadcaster Evan Solomon, who will be minister of artificial intelligence and digital MP Julie Dabrusin joins cabinet for the first time as environment minister after having served as parliamentary secretary for the file since 2021. Halifax MP Lena Metlege Diab is also new to cabinet in the role of minister for former mayor, Gregor Robertson, takes on a significant role overseeing housing. Carney has pledged to significantly ramp up construction amid a housing affordability crisis in Canada. The cabinet will be supported by ten secretaries of state, who assist the senior ministers.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Along the Canada border, small-town America feels sting of Trump's trade war
At the end of a waitressing shift, Kristina Lampert used to separate her tips in two piles: Canadian cash and American. But it's been weeks since she has done that. Freighters, the restaurant where she works, is one of the first places people can grab a bite after crossing the US-Canada border between Sarnia, Ontario, and Port Huron, Michigan. The Blue Water Bridge, which connects the US and Canada, is in full view from the restaurant's windows. "A lot of people used to come over and say 'we're here for the view'," she says of Canadian diners. "I haven't heard that at all recently." Border towns noticed almost instantly when US President Donald Trump began imposing tariffs on countries around the world and saying he wanted to make Canada the 51st US state - because the number of Canadians crossing the border plummeted. Border crossings between the US and Canada are down some 17% since Trump started bringing in tariffs, according to CBP data. Canadians car trips to the US are down almost 32% compared to March 2024, according to Statistics Canada. Like many of the towns that dot along the 5,525 mile (8,891 km) border, the economies of Port Huron and Sarnia are linked and in some ways dependent on one another. Port Huron is a manufacturing town of less than 30,000 people with a quaint downtown and lots of retail, offering visitors an enticing opportunity for a day-trip. On a day where there is little traffic, a Sarnia resident can cross the border and be in Michigan in a matter of minutes. Many of these towns faced their first test more than five years ago when the Covid-19 pandemic shut crossings down for 19 months and left local economies reeling. Now, they are seeing a second economic hit due to Trump's trade war, with many Canadians choosing to "Buy Canadian" - purchase Canadian-made goods - and reducing travel to the US in response to the fraying relationship between the two neighbouring countries. One place this is being felt is at Sarnia's Duty Free, the last place you can purchase goods before leaving Canada and entering the US. The shelves of perfume and liquor are fuller and the parking lot is emptier since tariffs tensions began. Barbara Barett, the executive director of Frontier Duty Free Association, says some of the 32 land-border duty frees in Canada have seen as much as an 80% decrease in sales since Trump's return to the White House. Most stores have seeing a 50-60% drop in business. "We're 100% reliant on the travel across the border," she says of duty frees. "Our stores are often pillars of these communities; communities depend on them." And while the crossing at Port Huron-Sarnia is faring better than most, on a Friday in May the parking lot of the Sarnia Duty Free is almost empty. Tania Lee, who runs the store with her family, says that has become the new norm. On Easter weekend - usually one of their busiest of the year, as Canadians take advantage of the break to stop in at a favourite restaurant and go to a church service in Port Huron - cars were few and far between and sales were not what they should have been, she says. "We are suffering because of collateral damage at the border," Ms Lee says of her second-generation family business. Ms Lee notes that people who live in border towns often cross the boundary multiple times a week. She, for example, has a mailbox at a shipping facility in Port Huron that she visits regularly, as do her neighbours. People across the Blue Water Bridge are feeling the effects too, Mayor Anita Ashford says. She has heard from both residents of her town and Canadians frustrated about the increased tension between the nations. Nationally, a 10% drop in Canadian tourism would cost the US up to 14,000 jobs and $2.1bn (£1.56b) in business, according to the US Travel Association. Michigan is one of the places likely to see the brunt of that impact. In 2023, Canadians visitors spent a collective $238m in the state, according to tourism officials. That money is essential for border towns like Port Huron, its mayor says. "I hope people in Washington will start to understand what they're doing to the people," she says. "We are not responsible for this, the [federal] government put us in this position and now we have to deal with it respectfully." "We need each other," she says.
