A delegation of U.S. Senators expressed optimism that a trade and security pact can be reached between Canada and President Donald Trump’s administration after meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney and senior cabinet ministers Friday.
The Senators – Republican Kevin Cramer and Democrats Jeanne Shaheen, Amy Klobuchar, Tim Kaine and Peter Welch – also met with Canadian business leaders impacted by U.S. tariffs.
At a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, Sen. Cramer, who is close to President Donald Trump, spoke glowingly of Prime Minister Carney, saying he is a more substantial leader than Justin Trudeau.
Unlike Mr. Trudeau, the Republican Senator said the Prime Minister and President Trump have business experience and should be able to make a deal.
“It’s a new day. Donald Trump is a transformational President. You have here a transformational Prime Minister. Two business guys. They know business. They know economics. They know how to work a deal,” he said.
Sen. Shaheen, who represents the border state of New Hampshire, said the meetings with Mr. Carney and the ministers of National Defence, Industry and Foreign Affairs were an opportunity to explore areas in trade and defence that can lead to an overarching deal with the Trump administration.
“We hope that this meeting will continue very positive discussion ensuring that some of the cracks that appeared in the relationship in recent months are healed,” she said.
Relations with the U.S. hit an all-time low after Mr. Trump moved into the White House and slapped tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum as well as auto imports that are not to subject to the Canada United States Mexico Agreement.
The President also angered Canadians by talking about making the country the 51st state, leading many people to boycott travel to the U.S. and purchases of American goods.
Sen. Cramer maintained the President isn’t out to destroy Canada’s auto, steel and aluminum industries, but he wants to level the playing field in what are expected to be tough negotiations.
“I have been encouraged by what I heard from the Trump administration that they are in fact at the table. They are discussing things like steel and aluminum, the auto industry,” he said. “We are moving forward to try to fix those things.”
Sen. Cramer, who represents North Dakota, said he was also encouraged by what he heard from the Prime Minister, and that the way forward is for the U.S. and Canada to recognize that China is the number one threat to North America.
“In fact therein lies one of the greatest opportunities to heal this relationship because we can unite that common adversity with our integrated supply chains and some of the unique qualities of each country. We don’t have as much potash as you. We don’t have critical minerals that Canada has,” he said.
Minnesota Sen. Klobuchar said she was pleased that Mr. Carney and the President got along in their meeting earlier this month but added much work needs to be done to put the relationship back on an even keel.
“Some of us are not big fans of the tariffs and I am very glad that this is being negotiated right now,” she said. “Right now our goal is to get the relationship back on track as we go into the summer season.”
Sen. Kaine said talks with the Prime Minister and his ministers were wide-ranging, dealing not only with tariffs but also the Golden Dome missile defence system, NATO funding and Canada’s economic plans to advance industries as such as artificial intelligence and energy infrastructure.
Sen. Kaine moved a motion in March passed the Senate that would have blocked the President from using national security as emergency means to impose tariffs against Canada and Mexico because of an alleged threat posed by fentanyl and undocumented migration. The measure is now stuck in the Republican-led House, where it will very likely go ignored.
Sen. Kaine said he may renew the challenge but he first wants to see whether the current negotiations can end the impasse. A small fraction of the fentanyl that comes into the U.S. enters from Canada. It mostly enters the U.S. from Mexico and China.
“I will continue to insist that we turn off this emergency mechanism when it is timely to do so but I hope we don’t need to. I hope we get to a resolution,” he said.
Vermont Sen. Peter Welch said Americans have a lot of affection for Canada and he understands the “heartbreak” Canadians felt with the President’s talk about annexing this country.
“In this time of disruption that we get out on the other side with the notion that we will be stronger together,” he said. “We want to restore that.”
Story Written by Robert Fife, Globe and Mail
Story Link: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-us-senators-ottawa-mark-carney-trade-security-meeting/