A U.S. commerce official is back in the spotlight Thursday as rhetoric around the Canada-U.S. tariff war was brought back to the front burner this week.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said the United States would not dictate the terms of high-stakes free trade negotiations scheduled to begin this summer.
Later, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was pressed by a New Hampshire Democrat about the Trump administration’s rhetoric around Canada, leading to what she called a “loss of trust and goodwill” among Canadians and slumping tourism to her state.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, meanwhile, told American officials that there is a gap between his and Canada’s trade philosophies, accusing Canada of “doubling down on globalization.”
Follow for key updates as they happen:
Lutnick investigating new sectors to ‘protect’
Lutnick, speaking now in a congressional hearing, referenced his department’s use of Section 232 of the U.S. Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to impose tariffs on various sectors.
The department, he added, is “investigating other sectors to protect, reshore, and revive manufacturing.”
The Trump administration has imposed levies on several Canadian industries using Section 232. Affected sectors include steel, aluminum, automobiles and cabinetry.
He said the administration’s tariff regime aims to “restore American excellence in critical industries.”
Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist
‘Respectfully, it’s reckless’
Joseph Morrelle, Democratic congressman for Rochester, N.Y., asked Lutnick to advise U.S. President Donald Trump to revise his “reckless” tariff regime.
“I talked to a company that has manufacturing in Rochester and manufacturing in Berlin. Because of Canadian imports that are going to get taxed, they said to me, ‘It is less expensive for us, more profitable, for us to extend that manufacturing line in Berlin than in the United States.’”
He said he supports any efforts to increase manufacturing jobs in the U.S., but under the Trump administration’s tariff policy, “you’re losing them.”
“The playing field is uneven. It’s chaotic. Respectfully, it’s reckless.”
Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist
Carney: U.S. irritants ‘right there in front of us’
Wednesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney alluded to Canada’s “trade irritants” with the United States during a scrum in with reporters. The U.S. has produced a list of those sticking points, which include procurement, an alcohol embargo in some provinces, and dairy. Carney said Canada has its own issues with American trade as well.
Asked to expand on that Thursday, the prime minister said, “There are a series of issues there that are right there in front of us,” referencing the U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum, autos and forest products.
“We need to work together and we will work together,” he added.
Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist
Poilievre says he could negotiate free trade
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre is speaking to reporters now. After criticizing Carney’s inability to reduce tariffs on Canadian goods, he was asked if he could do better if he were in charge.
“Do you think you could get a deal (with the U.S.) that does not include tariffs?” asked a journalist. Poilievre responded “Yes.”
As leverage, he says he would create a strategic reserve of critical minerals and oil that would be available at market rates to countries that have free trade with Canada.
“We have the aluminum that goes into fighter jets,” he said, speaking of the strategic materials the U.S. needs. “We have the tungsten that goes into armor-piercing equipment.”
Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist
Doug Ford responds to Lutnick’s comments
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says that the U.S, economy is losing out on “tens of billions of dollars” as Canadians continue to boycott the country amid a trade war.
Ford made the comment during an interview with CNN on Thursday morning.
“The Americans are losing out on tens of billions of dollars no matter if it is going down to Florida or going to Las Vegas or any other place that we go,” Ford said. “It is unfortunate that Canadians are boycotting and boycotting spending tens of billions of dollars in the U.S. This can come to a quick end, everyone can thrive and prosper.”
Ford’s latest comments come after U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called the ongoing boycott of U.S. alcohol by some provinces, including Ontario, “insulting and disrespectful to America” on Wednesday.
Ford was asked to respond to those comments by CNN host Wolf Blitzer on Thursday.
Ford has previously said that Ontario will not lift its ban on U.S. alcohol at provincial liquor stores until all new tariffs on Canadian goods are removed.
“I guess what is disrespectful is we never started this tariff war and I don’t believe the American people did. It was Secretary Lutnick followed by President Trump as well that attacked our joint economies,” he said Thursday when played a clip of Lutnick’s comments.
Chris Fox, managing digital producer, CP24.com & CTVNewsToronto.ca
Carney on U.S. liquor sales
Several U.S. officials, including Secretary Lutnick, have criticized Canada for embargoes at provincial liquor stores barring U.S. brands from shelves.
Carney appeared to push back on that qualm, suggesting that’s a decision for the provinces to make, not the federal government.
“The clients here are the provincial liquor authorities. They make the decision of what they put on the shelves,” he said.
Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist
Are trade pursuits eclipsing aid file?
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand is rejecting claims that her government is prioritizing trade over humanitarian aid and human rights.
The federal government under Prime Minister Mark Carney has cut foreign aid, signed economic deals with autocracies and avoided openly criticizing American actions against multilateral institutions.
Speaking at the Ottawa Civic Space Summit today, Anand says she wants to “gently push back” against the argument that efforts to promote Canada’s values are separate from its objectives on the economy and defence.
She says institutions promoting democracy can thrive when Canadians feel safe and economically stable, and Canada’s foreign policy can advance multiple interests at the same time.
The Canadian Press
Canadian tourism to U.S. drops – again
Canadian resident return trips from the U.S. slipped another 12.5 per cent in February compared to the same period in 2025, new data shows.
Statistics Canada’s Thursday report also suggested more Canadians are choosing to travel overseas instead. Those return trips rose by 6.8 per cent.
In contrast, American travel north of the border increased by 5.9 per cent from February 2025, and overall trips to Canada by overseas residents jumped 7.5 per cent.
Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist
Trudeau says U.S. tariffs drive trade to China
Former prime minister Justin Trudeau says American tariffs threaten to drive Canada closer to China in the auto sector.
Speaking at a CNBC event in Singapore today, Trudeau says China was looking to purchase Bombardier jets in 2017 as the company came under pressure from American aircraft maker Boeing and Dutch manufacturer Airbus.
Trudeau says he told his G7 counterparts during the 2017 summit in Italy that Boeing and Airbus were driving Canada into China’s arms.
After that meeting, Trudeau says, Airbus began purchasing Bombardier’s C-Series jets instead of China.
Trudeau says a similar scenario is playing out now, with U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs pushing Canada to explore closer auto sector ties with China.
The Canadian Press. Read the full story here.
Canada, U.S. trade systems ‘don’t fit’
The trilateral trade deal between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, known as CUSMA, is imminently up for review by July 1. At that point, officials can decide to renew the deal for a 16-year period, or to agree to an annual review process.
Speaking to the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday, Greer repeated a stance he’s laid out before, that the U.S. doesn’t “want to rubber-stamp it.”
Meanwhile, at a Washington, D.C.-based think tank earlier this month, he said while it’s unlikely the U.S. administration will hash out all of its trade issues with Canada and Mexico by July 1, he’s optimistic they’ll be resolved as soon as possible.
Greer was asked by Ways and Means Committee member Claudia Tenney — referring to supply management as a “rigged system” — about the CUSMA review and dairy specifically.
The U.S. trade representative responded that he’s raised it with Canadian officials “repeatedly and frequently,” but said Canada has not made any commitments on that issue.
Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc has already said publicly that dairy supply management concessions are off the table.
Spencer Van Dyk, CTV News Ottawa bureau journalist. Read the full story here.
Lutnick pressed
Also on Wednesday, Lutnick’s problems with Canadian trade came up during a fiery exchange with Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire, who grilled the secretary on Canadian tourism to her state.
She said cross-border tourism dipped 30 per cent last year, “largely due to the loss of trust and goodwill because of this administration’s rhetoric around Canada.” She also referenced Lutnick’s recent “they suck” remark on Canada’s trade agreement with China.
“We have all those Canadian visitors who are not coming because of your comments and comments by the administration. How does that help our economy?” she asked.
“It is outrageous that Canada will not put U.S. spirits on the shelf,” responded Lutnick, who called the move “insulting and disrespectful to America.”
Luca Caruso-Moro, CTVNews.ca journalist. Read the full story here.
