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Canada’s premiers are heading to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday on a diplomatic mission to underscore the Canada-U.S. trading relationship in the face of increasing tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.
The two-day trip comes a day after Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on all foreign steel and aluminum imports, including from Canada. At the same time, the clock is ticking on talks to avoid sweeping tariffs on all other Canadian exports to the U.S., which were delayed for 30 days early this month.The premiers are set to make the case to U.S. lawmakers and business leaders that tariffs would unnecessarily harm both countries’ economies.“We’re jam-packed with meetings, we’re building relationships — folks, this is all about building a relationship,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who’s currently running for re-election, told reporters at a campaign stop in Oakville on Monday. “We all know, the U.S. knows, that Canada needs the U.S. But what we’re going to communicate is everything the U.S. needs off of Canada, everything the U.S. needs off of Ontario, and how important the trading partner of Ontario and Canada is.”The trip marks the first time all 13 premiers have taken a joint international trip together, according to the Council of the Federation, a fact that underscores the critical moment in the relationship.Ford on Monday promised Ontario would react “hard” and “fast” to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum, which Trump said he was imposing without exemptions to shore up American sectors.Trump has previously threatened to impose 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs and a 10 per cent levy on Canadian energy. Those duties are set to return as soon as March 4 if the two countries don’t reach what Trump called an “economic” deal. Trump has also said the tariffs would return if his administration determines Canada hasn’t done enough to reduce illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking into the U.S.
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At the same time, Trump has repeatedly made comments about wanting to make Canada part of the U.S., something his administration has insisted does not mean annexation.The Canadian government and the premiers all vowed retaliatory actions, including reciprocal tariffs and a freeze on U.S. investments, if Trump goes ahead with tariffs.Canadian officials have also sought to present a united front, appearing on U.S. media and pressing their American counterparts on the benefits of maintaining open trade and dialogue with Canada.“We need that unity in this moment,” said Max Cameron, a political science professor at the University of British Columbia. “We need for the country to be strong and united, and not to give any aid or comfort to those in the United States who seem to think that somehow we, as a country, will cave in the face of threats of economic force.”Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on Monday said she will be joining her fellow premiers in Washington as part of that “Team Canada” approach. She also plans to continue highlighting the “significant” role Alberta energy exports play in helping the U.S.The premier said in a statement previewing her trip that she will “continue efforts to de-escalate tensions between our two countries, work together on shared goals and find common ground so that we can restore our mutually beneficial and enduring friendship.”In January, Smith broke ranks with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the other premiers, dismissing the possibility of a counter-tariff or freeze on Alberta’s oil and gas shipments, which had been floated as a potential response. Smith has also been more vocal than her provincial and territorial counterparts in pushing Ottawa to do more to tackle border security and drug crime. On Monday, Smith called on the federal government to reverse what she called a “soft-on-crime” federal law and reintroduce mandatory minimum jail sentences for drug offenders.
Smith and Ford have also pushed Trudeau to expedite the appointment of a “fentanyl czar” that would coordinate the government’s response to the deadly opioid, a key concession that convinced Trump to delay his tariffs.Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said Friday he was travelling to Washington ahead of the other premiers to emphasize his province’s “important role” in trade, especially in the energy and food sectors.“I think it’s incumbent on us as sub-national leaders to approach this with as calm and steady hands as we can,” Moe said. “The goal for myself, and I believe for all other premiers, is have a non-tariff environment. That’s how we work best together. That’s how we grow the North American economy and that’s how we ultimately create wealth in this province.”The Council of Atlantic Premiers said Friday they will “emphasize the importance of Canada to the security of the United States, and the benefits that the continental economic partnership has brought to both countries,” as well as the deep integration between Atlantic Canada, New England and the northeastern U.S.Several federal officials traveled to Washington to meet with Trump administration officials and lawmakers in the lead-up to Trump’s Feb. 1 announcement of tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Those meetings did not appear to sway Trump, who only agreed to back off after speaking with Trudeau a day before the tariffs were set to take effect. Cameron said diplomacy is still important while the tariff threat persists, and believes the premiers are doing the right thing by showing up in force to present a united front.“I don’t think it hurts to do everything possible,” he said. “It may be intangible, it may be hard to show results in the near term, but in the longer term there can be real benefits.Among the pitches being made to U.S. officials is an expanded energy partnership that could include increased oil trade as well as critical minerals.At the same time, provinces are pushing ahead with programs to support local businesses and producers by turning Canadians away from U.S. products, as well as diversifying their international trade relationships.Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, while speaking at a “Buy Local” campaign launch event last week, said there were “active conversations” about where to set up a new permanent trade office for the province after opening one in Washington early this year.“Is that going to be in the U.S. or is that going to be in South Korea, or maybe another location around the world,” he asked.
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