Former U.S. Ambassador Accuses Canada of Political Interference, Downplays Quick Trade Resolution
OTTAWA – Former U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Hoekstra accused the Canadian government of meddling in U.S. politics and warned that restarting trade negotiations will be a challenging process, speaking to an audience Wednesday. His remarks come after a recent dispute sparked by an Ontario government ad critical of U.S. tariffs.
Hoekstra stated the trade deal “got blown up,” adding that the previous strategy focused on achieving “wins on the board” for both countries before addressing other issues. While he indicated he has suggestions for restarting negotiations, he emphasized, “it’s not going to be easy.”
The controversy originated with an anti-tariff advertisement run by the Ontario government, prompting U.S. President Donald Trump to announce the termination of all trade negotiations with Canada. Ontario Premier Doug ford subsequently agreed to pause the ad after it’s weekend airing during the World Series games.
According to reports, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized to Trump for the ad during their last face-to-face meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.
Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc’s spokesperson, Gabriel Brunet, stated wednesday that the minister ”will be ready to re-engage at the opportune time,” adding, “We will take the time necessary to get the right deal for Canada.” LeBlanc previously stated the Canadian government would not be passively awaiting communication from the U.S., focusing instead on diversifying trade partners and strengthening the Canadian economy.
Hoekstra also suggested Canada should work with the U.S. to secure the “lowest tariff bucket” possible, referencing a trade pact with the U.K. he expressed optimism that tariffs would be reduced once an agreement is reached, “hopefully sooner rather than later.”
Prior to the ad airing, Carney reportedly advised Ford against its release.
