Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks to the press after meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer for talks on trade and tariffs, in Washington, on March 13.Ken Cedeno/Reuters
Canadian officials emerged from a high-stakes meeting in Washington expressing a calm confidence in Canada’s position in the tariff war with the United States, countering hostile language the American side voiced publicly in the hours and even minutes leading up to the sit-down.
Ultimately, neither side made any new commitments, though officials from both countries agreed to meet again next week.
Thursday’s meeting in Washington with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick came on the heels of a tense week between the Canadian government and U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. Canadian officials had expressed hope for resetting the crucial trading partnership after days of tariffs and countertariffs being threatened, imposed and walked back.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, federal Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the United States, met with the Commerce Secretary, along with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
Mr. Lutnick went on multiple American television channels on Thursday and blasted Canada, along with Mr. Ford. He used especially aggressive language on Fox News only minutes before the meeting began.
“Why are we doing all this business in Canada if they’re not respectful, if they’re not thankful?” he said.
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Despite the rhetoric, the Canadian officials emerged from the meeting with a tone that was markedly different – and even optimistic.
“I would say this was a constructive discussion. We have our disagreements, but as long as you have dialogue, you’re making progress,” Mr. Champagne said at a press conference at the Canadian embassy in Washington.
In his own brief remarks after the meeting, Mr. Ford said the officials shared “a tremendous amount of views” and that he’s feeling positive about the U.S. relationship.
“We want the best outcome for both countries. We’re like a family. And sometimes there’s tension between families. But that was an extremely productive meeting,” Mr. Ford told reporters gathered outside the Department of Commerce building.
Without going into specifics, Mr. Ford called the encounter “the best meeting I’ve ever had coming down here.”
Mr. LeBlanc suggested the dialogue has been more nuanced behind the scenes, noting that he exchanges text messages with Mr. Lutnick several times a week.
Mr. LeBlanc also said that the Canadian dairy sector – a subject of scorn from U.S. officials – is not up for negotiation outside of the current trade agreement.
“We’ve been clear publicly and in private that that’s not on the table,” he said.
Mr. Champagne said Canadian officials stressed there will be a new prime minister as of Friday – Mark Carney – which may help to reset the relationship.
“There’s also an understanding that there’ll be a discussion, I would think, in the coming days, between the prime minister-designate and the President of the United States,” Mr. Champagne said.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford arrives for a meeting about tariffs with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington, on March 13.Ken Cedeno/Reuters
A readout of the meeting posted to the U.S. Department of Commerce website late Thursday said Mr. Lutnick and Mr. Greer “highlighted the Trump administration’s steadfast commitment to pursuing fair trade and Canada’s potential role in those efforts.”
“Both countries recognized the strength and history of their relationship,” it said.
The statement went on to say Mr. Lutnick “is dedicated to fulfilling” Mr. Trump’s vision on trade, including eliminating trade deficits and foreign restrictions to “help U.S. companies, large and small, prosper in the global marketplace.”
The meeting with Mr. Lutnick was arranged this week after Mr. Ford initiated – and then promptly dropped – a 25-per-cent electricity surcharge on three states, as the trade war between Canada and the U.S. ramped up. That prompted Mr. Trump to threaten to double tariffs on Canadian steel on aluminum to 50 per cent.
Ontario quickly paused its electricity surcharge, partly in exchange for Thursday’s talks in order to re-orient the relationship, and Mr. Trump reverted back to 25-per-cent tariffs on steel and aluminum. The federal government on Wednesday retaliated against the U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum, announcing counterlevies on $29.8-billion worth of U.S. goods.
“I think there’s no alternative to standing up for Canadians, standing up for workers and standing up for industry,” Mr. Champagne said at the press conference. “I think if there’s one thing that President Trump respects is strength, is frankness, is people who defend their own interests.”
Canada, meanwhile, initiated a dispute complaint with the World Trade Organization on Thursday over the new U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs.
While the Canadian officials are projecting progress, they also did not back down on the prospect of more countertariffs – although Mr. Lutnick went on television Thursday to say they should stop retaliating.
Before the meeting began, Mr. Lutnick criticized Canada’s retaliatory tariff strategy, creating an apparently hostile negotiating environment hours before the Canadian delegation arrived for the talks.
“We put a tariff on steel and aluminum to make sure the dumping countries of the world stop and we can build up our steel and aluminum in America,” Mr. Lutnick said on Bloomberg TV. “And what does Canada do? They put a tariff on for sports equipment. I mean, really? It’s tone deaf.”
He also stressed that Canada is being disrespectful to the U.S. President, who views steel and aluminum as crucial to the country’s national security because it is used in munitions production, among other things. “If you’re going to respond to us with sports equipment, you’re just not listening to President Trump.”
Mr. Lutnick alleged Canada is only using retaliatory tariffs to sway a pending federal election, saying, “This is their way of getting election votes.”
Despite his arguments, Canada doesn’t dump, or overproduce, steel or aluminum like China does; and Mr. Ford just handily won re-election.
Speaking in the Oval Office earlier Thursday, Mr. Trump was asked about the coming meeting with Canadian officials and whether he will bend on steel and aluminum tariffs or the planned April 2 tariffs.
“No,” the President said. “We’ve been ripped off for years, and we’re not going to be ripped off any more.”
Mr. Trump repeated his claims that the U.S. subsidizes Canada – a country he said he loves – but won’t do it any longer.
“We don’t need their cars. We don’t need their energy. We don’t need their lumber.”
He repeated his comments about annexing Canada saying: “Canada only works as a state.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Trump’s pick for United States ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, reiterated Canada’s independence in his Senate nomination meeting on Thursday.
“Canada is a sovereign state,” Mr. Hoekstra said.
Mr. Trump has also linked some tariffs to the flow of deadly fentanyl across borders but Canadian officials have said the President’s goal is to use economic force to annex Canada.
During the meeting, Mr. Hoekstra later said “it’s not a huge amount” of fentanyl that comes from Canada.
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Reuters
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