Trump's ambassador predicts Canada trade deal — with a catch

Alexander Panetta · CBC News

· Posted: May 28, 2025 5:52 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

There's immoderate bully news, and immoderate atrocious news, for Canada from U.S. President Donald Trump's ambassador to Ottawa.

First, the bully news: He suggests a caller Canada-U.S. statement is achievable successful the not-too-distant future, and it would payment some countries.

The atrocious news? Don't number connected tariff-free commercialized again.

Pete Hoekstra made the remarks Wednesday astatine a league successful his location authorities of Michigan, wherever helium besides bemoaned what helium described arsenic caller anti-Americanism successful Canada.

"The president and the premier curate would similar to get to a solution sooner alternatively than later," Hoekstra said during a panel astatine the Mackinac Policy Conference.

"We volition get done this." 

He predicted a stronger Canada-U.S. narration successful the end. 

Tariffs won't afloat disappear, ambassador says

As a circumstantial example, helium mentioned the car sector, declaring that Canada and the U.S. are not competitors — China is the competition, helium said.

But there's a catch. Based connected the ambassador's remarks, Canada should not presume tariffs volition vanish entirely.

"The president has made it precise clear: There volition beryllium tariffs for each state wanting to bash concern successful the United States," Hoekstra said.

WATCH | Looking astatine Trump's tariff strategy: 

This really leaves Canada successful an advantageous position, Hoekstra said: Depending connected however these negotiations go, Canada could person the champion commercialized entree to the U.S. of immoderate country.

He said Trump has already dropped astir tariffs connected Canada. Indeed, Canada does not person an across-the-board 10 per cent levy Trump imposed connected astir countries.

But it does person a 25 per cent alloy and aluminum tariff, similar astir of the world, arsenic good a 25 per cent tariff connected definite products not traded nether the Canada-U.S.-Mexico pact.

Based connected remarks from some countries, it sounds similar Ottawa and Washington envision commercialized talks happening successful 2 phases. They're present discussing a woody to resoluteness a constricted acceptable of grievances, then, successful respective months, program to commencement moving connected an update to the broader Canada-U.S.-Mexico pact. 

Hoekstra retired of measurement with Trump

It's unclear however overmuch value to spot connected the ambassador's predictions. 

Events this week demonstrated that helium isn't ever successful sync with the boss. Even connected a cardinal question, possibly the astir cardinal one: Will his state support talking astir annexing the neighbour?

Hoekstra said 1 thing, and the U.S. president contradicted him wrong days.

WATCH | Carney's effect to Trump's Golden Dome post: 

Last week, the ambassador adjacent sounded annoyed Canadians support mentioning annexation: "Move on," Hoekstra told CBC. "I'm not talking astir it; Donald Trump is not talking astir it."

That presumption hardly lasted done the weekend. 

On Tuesday, Trump made different transportation for Canadian annexation, promising savings connected a missile-defence strategy if Canada joins the U.S.

But Hoekstra continued Wednesday to suggest Canadians are being overly emotional. He called it outrageous that provinces person banned U.S. liquor sales.

He lamented that determination has been nary constituency successful Canada expressing pro-U.S. opinions implicit the past 4 to six months — not adjacent the concern community.

"Both governmental parties benignant of ran connected a level of anti-Trump, anti-America. That's an obstacle," helium said.

"You had some parties moving fundamentally an anti-American agenda. The concern assemblage has mostly been silent."

His stated timeline — 4 to six months agone — coincides with erstwhile Trump mused astir impoverishing Canada, using economical force to unit it to articulation the U.S.