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11h ago

U.S. Envoy Rebukes Canada’s Stance as Trade Talks Resume

Talks restarted after Ottawa lifted retaliatory tariffs this month.

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Empty shelves where alcohol and wine from the United States used to be was empty March 5 at the NSLC in Sydney.
Yarmouth residents Rachael Coe and Keltie Bain with some of the Elbows Up merchandise Timeless Memories Gifts is filling orders for.
Pete Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, speaks at a Halifax Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Halifax Convention Centre on Thursday.

Overview

  • U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra said Canadian “elbows up” rhetoric is anti-American and not constructive for securing a new trade and security deal.
  • He argued only Canada has treated the dispute as a trade war and rejected claims that President Trump is an unreliable negotiator.
  • Hoekstra said Canadians, not Washington, put tariffs on USMCA products, noting Trump’s order ultimately exempted USMCA-compliant goods after an initial broad rollout in March.
  • Canada’s earlier countermeasures targeted about $60 billion in U.S. goods, and Sen. Rand Paul cited a 62% drop in U.S. spirits exports to Canada and a 33.9% decline in Canadian tourism to the U.S.
  • Preparations for next July’s USMCA review are underway with U.S. consultations opened this week, and Hoekstra signaled a larger cross-sector pact now appears unlikely despite his stated optimism for progress.