Canada’s ambassador to america — and co-lead of the federal authorities’s Group Canada battle room — says U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has a special understanding of the bilateral relationship than he did throughout his first time period within the White Home.
Trump, all through this newest election marketing campaign, has threatened to impose across-the-board tariffs on imports, to reopen America’s trilateral free-trade settlement with Canada and Mexico, and to launch a mass deportation operation, elevating fears of an exodus to Canada.
Regardless of that, Ambassador Kirsten Hillman advised CTV’s Query Interval host Vassy Kapelos in an interview airing Sunday that commerce negotiations throughout Trump’s first time period, coupled with navigating the bodily border in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, “sensitized” the president-elect to the individuality of Canada-U.S. relations.
“I think the difference is that he himself knows the importance of the Canada-U.S. relationship in a way that he didn’t before,” she stated. “We went through the renegotiation of the NAFTA, and it wasn’t always easy, but we did come out with an agreement that is really, really effective, an agreement that has led to historic levels of Canada-U.S. trade.”
“And he knows that,” Hillman added. “So he can take credit for that.”
Commerce specialists and business representatives have raised considerations concerning the potential penalties on each the American and Canadian economies of Trump’s promised tariffs of 10 per cent or extra on imported items. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce estimates the ensuing financial influence on this nation could be $30 billion yearly.
When requested concerning the coverage — and the dearth of assurances from Trump or his staff that Canada could be exempt from such a measure — Hillman insisted the connection with Trump’s forthcoming administration is “starting from a different place” than it did when he first took workplace eight years in the past.
“President Trump believes in tariffs as a policy tool, and that is a fact,” the ambassador stated. “Does that mean that he believes in them as a policy tool in all circumstances, for all countries? No, I don’t think so.”
She pointed to negotiations over Trump’s punishing metal and aluminum tariffs throughout his first time period, in addition to the NAFTA renegotiation, as proof Canada could make inroads with the incoming Trump administration.
“I’m not really in a position to speculate on the outcome, but I know that we have really, really good arguments to make,” Hillman stated. “I know that we had some success last time and I know that we are laser-focused on this issue.”
When pressed on the once-and-future president’s choice to take away the prior tariffs largely due to Canada threatening counter-tariffs, in addition to whether or not Canada would threaten to use retaliatory tariffs on this occasion, Hillman stated nothing is off the desk.
“I think we can’t speculate as to what exactly will happen, but I think that Canada will be prepared to consider all options to defend the interests of Canadians and defend the Canadian economy,” she stated.
With information from CTV’s Query Interval Senior Producer Brennan MacDonald
You possibly can watch the total interview within the video participant on the high of this text.
