CHARLOTTETOWN – As Canada’s premiers sit down with Prime Minister Mark Carney in-person on Thursday, they’re making it clear U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest escalation of the trade war is giving a “new sense of urgency” and they want to know Ottawa’s negotiation plan.
“I think this is a window, this month that we have … to sharpen the pencil, to sharpen the focus,” said Alberta Premier Danielle Smith during Wednesday’s press conference.
“I hope that we can get all of the outstanding issues on the table,” Smith said.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe voiced similar optimism about reaching an agreement “in the near term,” given the layers upon layers of tariffs Trump has imposed or threatened on this country.
“This is an opportunity for us as Canadians and our bargaining team, or our negotiating team … to really intensify those negotiations in the effort to find some type of a reviewed and renewed CUSMA (Canada-United States-Mexico Trade Agreement),” Moe said.
“I’m bullish, but I’m not entirely confident we’ll get there.”
Amid divisions over how strongly, or if, Canada should retaliate to Trump’s latest 50 per cent tariff salvo on a range of goods, premiers say they all agree that “a comprehensive deal that includes the full range of tariff-affected sectors, including softwood lumber, steel, aluminum, manufacturing and auto industries,” would be the best-case scenario.
“(Carney) needs to lead the way. He needs to come up with a strong plan over the next 29 days, and I’m interested in sitting down with him and hearing the plan,” said Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Wednesday.
“I’ll just speak for Ontario: everything’s on the table. We can’t keep rolling over for Donald Trump. So that’s what I believe in: standing up strong, negotiate through strength. You don’t negotiate through weakness, especially with President Trump.”
Premiers have expressed that not all provinces are being impacted as directly by the latest batch of proposed tariffs, while emphasising how that shouldn’t alter every premiers’ resolve to continue presenting a united front.
“Although we’re 97 per cent tariff-free, we’d like to be 100 per cent. We’d like every other province to be at 100 per cent tariff-free as well,” Smith said.
Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be joining Carney in Charlottetown on Thursday for the First Ministers’ Meeting. His office confirmed to CTV News that the minister did last speak with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Tuesday, after Carney spoke to Trump about intensifying Canada-U.S. trade talks in the coming weeks.
“We look forward to further engagement on addressing outstanding issues with the U.S. to the mutual benefit of our citizens,” LeBlanc’s office said in an email.
There have been indications that Canada’s Chief Trade Negotiator to the U.S. Janice Charette and Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S. Mark Wiseman have been looking at points of pressure for the Americans that could factor into any retaliatory response, despite Greer telling U.S. lawmakers that his understanding was that Canada wouldn’t be hitting back.
These could include targeting regions where the cost of living for Americans is particularly high, and where that could intersect with close congressional races coming up this fall.
“It’s in everyone’s best interest in North America, the entirety of North America, for us to come to agreement on a reviewed and renewed CUSMA,” Moe said.
“All we can do is to make every effort, myself as a subnational leader, to support our federal government and support those that are sitting at that bargaining table with information from our respective jurisdictions.”
In their joint communique issued at the conclusion of Wednesday’s Council of the Federation meeting, the leaders of Canada’s provinces and territories also implored the federal government “to maintain a clear, timely consultation process with provinces and territories during negotiations.”
PEI Premier Rob Lantz, chair of this week’s annual gathering, told reporters that while premiers have focused their discussions amongst themselves around strengthening each provincial and territorial economy to make the country stronger, “there’s no doubt our conversation with the prime minister tomorrow will have a new level of urgency.”
“We’re looking forward to sharing our priorities tomorrow and working with the prime minister to ensure Canadians see a strong, united approach as we focus on protecting workers, farmers, fishers, businesses and all Canadians,” Lantz said.
