U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra is voicing concern over what he describes as growing anti-American sentiment across Canada, including from federal politicians. Speaking at a Halifax Chamber of Commerce event on Thursday, Hoekstra said the attitude toward the United States has been his “most unexpected” experience since assuming the role in April.
“I’m disappointed that I came to Canada where it is difficult to find Canadians who are passionate about the American-Canadian relationship,” Hoekstra said. “The election campaign was elbows up, me too, anti-American. That has continued. That’s disappointing.”
The ambassador’s remarks come as Canadian industries continue to absorb the fallout from U.S. tariffs. Steel and aluminum remain heavily affected, with exports facing levies as high as 50 percent. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne has referred to the situation as a “war” on multiple occasions, stressing the need for Canada to diversify its markets and strengthen its economy.
“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 said earlier this week, calling the U.S. approach a betrayal of longstanding partnership.
Hoekstra pushed back, arguing that such language is “a dangerous place to go,” and defended the White House’s tariff agenda by saying Canada’s competitive position had improved compared to other nations facing even steeper trade barriers.
Statistics Canada data shows Canadian exports to the U.S. have dropped nearly 16 percent since tariffs were imposed in April, while imports from the U.S. are down about 11 percent. Travel between the two countries has also declined sharply.
Despite the numbers, Hoekstra maintains the two countries are not in a trade war. He pointed to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent comment in the House of Commons that Canada has “the best deal with the U.S. worldwide right now” as evidence the situation is stabilizing. Carney confirmed he continues to hold direct talks with President Donald Trump on issues including Ukraine and China.
The ambassador welcomed Carney’s recent decision to lift retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), saying the countermeasures should never have been imposed.
“It’s like hallelujah,” Hoekstra said. “You were tariffing product that fell under CUSMA. Removing them helps start the review process on a much better foot.”
While Trump has repeatedly suggested annexing Canada as a way to bypass tariffs, comments Hoekstra previously downplayed as a “term of endearment,” the ambassador said he remains optimistic about the outlook. “I am genuinely optimistic we will get to the point where we have a trade deal,” he said.
