Ontario Premier Doug Ford left an hours-long meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Canadian federal officials saying he feels more positive about the Canada-U.S. trading relationship after weeks of bad blood and heated rhetoric.
“We feel the temperature is being lowered. The temperature’s coming down,” Ford told reporters.
“This, I can honestly say, was the best meeting I’ve ever had coming down here. We want the best outcome for both countries. We’re like a family — sometimes there’s tension between families but that was an extremely productive meeting. I’m feeling positive,” he said.
Ford said there will be another meeting next week between Canadian and American trade officials but offered no details on what they are planning to discuss. But the promise of another meeting could be read as something of a good sign.
“We’re having very productive conversations and they’re turning out very, very well,” Ford said.Â
Asked if he’s prepared to put his 25 per cent tax on U.S.-bound electricity back on, Ford didn’t answer as he hopped into a waiting black SUV.
Canada and the U.S. are in the throes of a trade war after President Donald Trump slapped tariffs on all Canadian goods — and later partially dialled them back — to supposedly pressure the country to do more at the border on drugs and migrants.
This week, Trump levied a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum imports.
To hit back at what the federal government has called “unjustified” and “unjustifiable” tariffs on a longtime trade partner, Canada has levied retaliatory tariffs on roughly $60 billion worth of American goods in response.
Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who is the federal government’s point-person on Canada-U.S. relations, Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne and Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman, were also at Thursday’s meeting.
They are expected to speak to the press at some point this evening.
