Some U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports may remain in place even as the relationship between the two countries improves, Peter Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, said.
“I’m not sure they’ll be totally removed,” Hoekstra said in an interview on Global TV’s The West Block Sunday when asked about the 25 per cent tariff U.S. President Donald Trump placed on most Canadian goods in March, citing concerns about fentanyl entering the U.S.
While less than one per cent of the fentanyl seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection comes via the U.S.-Canada border according to CBP data, there is some evidence of fentanyl production in the country.
Hoekstra’s remarks come on the heels of a new trade agreement between the U.S. and U.K., which gave the U.K. limited relief on autos, steel and aluminum duties. The deal maintained a 10 per cent baseline tariff on U.K. imports.
Hoekstra said Canada and the U.S. can move past the tensions of recent months, during which Trump repeatedly called for Canada to become the 51st state and mocked former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by calling him “Governor Trudeau.”
Trump struck a more respectful tone with newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney during their White House meeting last week.
“I think the president wants a very positive relationship,” said Hoekstra, who was confirmed as U.S. envoy to Canada last month. “We have moved beyond the 51st state, at least as far as I’m concerned.”
Christine Dobby, Bloomberg News
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