Canadian ambassador says there's a 'good path forward' to a trade deal with the U.S.

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Canada’s ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman, says she “firmly” believes that some countries could scope a commercialized woody wrong the 30-day deadline discussed astatine the G7 acme past week.

More talks scheduled with U.S. counterparts passim the week

Mayson Maharaj · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 22, 2025 6:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

A pistillate with brownish shoulder-length hairsbreadth is shown successful profile.

Kirsten Hillman, Canada's ambassador to the U.S., speaks to reporters during a Liberal furniture retreat successful Montebello, Que., successful January. She's been appointed by Prime Minister Mark Carney arsenic Canada's main negotiator with the U.S. amid heightened commercialized tensions, CBC News has learned. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

Canada's ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman said she "firmly" believes that some countries could scope a commercialized woody wrong the 30-day deadline discussed astatine the G7 acme successful Alberta past week.

"We can't bash thing to unit the U.S. broadside to travel to a deal, but we bash deliberation we person a bully way guardant if we're capable to instrumentality it," she said during an interrogation connected Rosemary Barton Live that aired connected Sunday.

Hillman said it's "too soon to tell" whether each U.S. tariffs imposed connected Canada volition beryllium removed, and she stopped short of saying whether the national government is consenting to judge the continuation of immoderate tariffs.

"These are things that volition enactment themselves retired successful the adjacent fig of weeks," she said.

Canada is warring for "open commercialized and stability" for Canadian workers and businesses, Hillman said during the interview.

WATCH | Canadian ambassador to U.S. discusses ongoing trade talks:

Canadian ambassador to U.S. ‘firmly’ believes successful way to commercialized woody

Chief governmental analogous Rosemary Barton speaks with Canadian Ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman astir the ongoing negotiations betwixt Ottawa and Washington.

Hillman gets expanded role successful Washington

Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed Hillman arsenic Canada's main negotiator with the U.S. amid heightened commercialized tensions, CBC News has learned. This relation comes successful summation to her duties arsenic Canada's ambassador to the U.S.

Hillman antecedently worked connected the squad negotiating the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement during U.S. President Donald Trump's archetypal word and arsenic Canada's main negotiator for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Her expanded duties present presumption her successful bilateral talks arsenic U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer's counterpart.

Trade and defence talks continuing

Since Carney and Trump acceptable the 30-day deadline portion gathering astatine the G7 successful Kananaskis, Alta., on June 16, Hillman has had 3 meetings with her U.S. counterparts — 1 instantly pursuing the leaders' bilateral, the 2nd connected the pursuing time with Greer and different connected Friday that included Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who is besides the curate liable for Canada-U.S. trade.

More talks are planned passim this week.

The conversations with the U.S. are focused connected antithetic topics, including fentanyl, borderline information and Arctic defence, though the leaders are focused on tariffs.

Hillman said it's inactive unclear whether defence and commercialized volition beryllium portion of 1 woody coming wrong the adjacent 30 days.

Trump has said "many times" that helium likes tariffs, Hillman said.

"It's up to Canada to show we tin execute the aforesaid goals with the United States done different means that don't needfully impact these punishing tariffs, particularly connected strategical goods."

WATCH | PM whitethorn rise counter-tariffs connected U.S. steel, aluminum if woody delayed:

Canada to bounds alloy imports, whitethorn hike U.S. counter-tariffs adjacent month

Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced limits to overseas alloy imports successful a bid to prop up Canada’s alloy industry, which has been deed hard by the U.S. commercialized war. Canada whitethorn hike counter-tariffs connected U.S. alloy and aluminum if a woody isn’t reached by July 21.

Steel tariffs inactive astatine 50%

Just days aft Canada and the U.S. acceptable a 30-day deadline, Carney signalled he's consenting to spell higher with Canada's retaliatory tariffs if nary statement is reached.

Canada's counter-tariffs connected alloy volition spell up or down, depending connected commercialized advancement by July 21, successful effect to U.S. metallic tariffs that are present astatine 50 per cent.

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly told CBC Power & Politics big David Cochrane that Canada is taking "measures similar [it's] ne'er done" successful the free-trade epoch to support the alloy and aluminum sectors.

"It's truly important for Canada to amusement spot and resoluteness astatine the negotiating table," Hillman said. "Regardless of what we mightiness perceive the president accidental from clip to time, they request us."