U.S. ambassador 'disappointed' with anti-American sentiment in Canada
Finance minister's comments about trade war don't help, Hoekstra says
The U.S. ambassador to Canada is expressing frustration over the anti-American sentiment he sees in this country, including from politicians, after U.S. President Donald Trump hit most of the world with tariffs.
Asked what surprised him about Canada since starting his new role in April, Pete Hoekstra said Thursday that what's most "unexpected" is the country's feelings about the U.S.
"I'm disappointed that I came to Canada — a Canada that it is very, very difficult to find Canadians who are passionate about the American-Canadian relationship," Hoekstra said at an event hosted by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce.
"You ran a campaign where it was anti-American, elbows up, me too. You know, that was an anti-American campaign. That has continued. That's disappointing."
Hokestra said Prime Minister Mark Carney's remark in the House of Commons on Monday that Canada currently has "the best deal with the U.S. worldwide right now" has helped "take the tone and tenor of the debate down."
But he said a cabinet minister describing what Hoekstra called a "trade dispute" as a "war" is not helping.
U.S. ambassador 'disappointed' Canadians aren't 'passionate' about their relationship with AmericansFinance Minister François-Philippe Champagne used the word "war" multiple times on Tuesday while talking about Canada's response to help Canadian sectors still hard hit by Trump's tariffs.
Steel and aluminum industries, for example, continue to struggle with 50 per cent tariffs on exports to the U.S.
"We've been there during the war when it came to aluminum, we've been there during the war when it came to steel," Champagne told reporters including CBC News.
"Obviously when someone turns its back, you have to find ways to strengthen the Canadian economy and look at new markets, look at new industries."
Hoekstra fired back saying using such language is "a dangerous place to go."
Since his re-election Trump has repeatedly threatened annexing Canada, rhetoric that continued after Carney became prime minister.
The president has often said becoming the 51st state is how Canada can avoid facing tariffs on its goods.
Hoekstra previously said Trump's words can be taken as a "term of endearment."
'Your relative position has improved'
The ambassador defended Trump's tariff agenda by saying countries competing with Canada to sell products to the U.S. are facing higher rates.
"Your relative position has improved," he said. "And you, your cabinet describes this as a relationship that America has turned its back on."
If Canada was really in a trade war with the U.S., Hoekstra said, the country would know it.
Data from Statistics Canada this month shows Canadian exports to the U.S. dropped almost 16 per cent since Trump's tariff announcements in April. Products imported from the U.S. are also down almost 11 per cent, according to that data.
Travel between the two countries has also plunged.
Hoekstra said Trump wouldn't be speaking "consistently" with Carney like he is now about a range of issues if the two countries were in a trade war. Carney said on Monday he spoke to the U.S. president over the weekend about Ukraine and China.
A day after expressing that a bigger deal than the North American trade pact isn't in the cards, Hoekstra now says he's "genuinely optimistic that we will get to the point where we have a trade deal."
'It's like hallelujah'
The prime minister recently dropped retaliatory tariffs on American goods that are compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). Carney said it was a move to match the U.S. and try to advance trade talks.
Hoekstra says those countermeasures should have never been in place and is "thrilled" they're gone.
"It's number one. It's like hallelujah," he said. "I mean you guys were tariffing product that fell under the USMCA, CUSMA."
He said the move helps kick off the review of CUSMA on a "much better foot," but warns those counter-tariffs and continued boycotts will still taint the feedback from Americans in upcoming public consultations.
B.C. bans all U.S. alcohol at government stores in response to Trump tariffs This week the U.S. officially kicked off the mandatory review process to evaluate how CUSMA has been working over the past five years.
Hoekstra said "there will be a whole lot of comments" coming in from American businesses, and "they are not going to be positive."
He described the review as a long, grinding process that he'd be surprised to see wrapped up by July 2026.
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Canadian politicians, experts push back against U.S. ambassador's anti-Americanism concerns
Pete Hoekstra said he’s ‘disappointed’ with Canada’s attitude toward U.S. relations
Canadian politicians and experts are pushing back against U.S. ambassador Pete Hoekstra's frustration over the anti-American sentiment he's seen in Canada after U.S. President Donald Trump hit the world with tariffs.
"When you kick the dog, you can't blame it for snarling back," said Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association and member of the prime minister's Canada-U.S. relations council.
"It's gaslighting 101," Volpe added. "You probably should get someone to tell him a little bit more about how to properly do Canada-U.S. diplomacy, but I'm not sure he'd listen."
On Thursday, Hoekstra said at an event hosted by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce he's "disappointed that I came to Canada — a Canada that it is very, very difficult to find Canadians who are passionate about the American-Canadian relationship."
"You ran a campaign where it was anti-American, elbows up, me too. You know, that was an anti-American campaign. That has continued. That's disappointing," Hoekstra said.
U.S. ambassador 'disappointed' Canadians aren't 'passionate' about their relationship with AmericansVolpe said Hoekstra "knows exactly what he's doing when he makes those statements.… This is his style. I don't know what his objective is, but maybe his audience is actually in Washington rather than across this country."
"I try to ignore his rhetoric," Volpe said.
Stephen Marche, a Canadian novelist and host of the Gloves Off podcast, told CBC's The House that Hoekstra "is the person you send to a country to alienate it. He is a person who obviously has no interest in maintaining really decent U.S.-Canadian relations."
"I think we need to steadily ignore him," Marche added, echoing Volpe's sentiments.
Canadians will react to attacks, says Andrew Scheer
In an interview on Rosemary Barton Live that airs Sunday morning, Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer said any time a foreign country slaps tariffs or raises the idea of annexation, "of course Canadians are going to react negatively to that."
"We are different, we are distinct. I don't like to define Canada in the negative. I like to define Canada in the positive," Scheer told host Rosemary Barton. "We're more than just not being American. We have a proud history."
On Thursday, Hoekstra also pointed to a Canadian cabinet minister's "war" references as not helping relations between the two countries.
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne used the word "war" multiple times this week while talking about how Canada is trying to re-invent the Canadian economy like it did back in 1945 after the Second World War.
"We've been there during the war when it came to aluminum, we've been there during the war when it came to steel," Champagne told reporters. "We've been there during the war when it came to work together with American friends and allies."
Hoekstra fired back saying using such language is "a dangerous place to go."
When asked for his thoughts on Hoekstra's comments, Champagne struck a diplomatic tone and told Barton "the tariffs have been impacting a number of works and sectors in Canada like we have not seen in a very long time or ever."
Reaction to U.S. ambassador being 'disappointed' with anti-American sentiment in Canada"So obviously this is deeply felt in Canada…. I think [Hoekstra] understands that Canadians have felt sad with what has happened. But at the same time, I'm sure he understands how much we have done together and will continue to do together."
Hoekstra defended Trump's tariffs by saying countries competing with Canada to sell products to the U.S. are facing higher rates.
"Your relative position has improved," he said. "And you, your cabinet describes this as a relationship that America has turned its back on."
In response, Volpe said, "I unfortunately only speak English and I don't understand what he's saying there. Everybody was better off nine months ago, including Canada."
"Maybe because he wasn't the ambassador nine months ago he didn't know that, but he'd be hard-pressed to find anybody who has any relationship with data to agree with him."
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With files from Ashley Burke, Sarina Mohan
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