A group of U.S. senators said Friday they felt hope after meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney towards repairing bilateral relations and securing a new trade and security deal.
Republican Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said he was “encouraged by what we’ve heard today, and I’m encouraged by what we’re seeing in terms of moving forward together.”
The delegation, which also included Democrats Jeanne Shaheen, Amy Klobuchar, Tim Kaine and Peter Welch — all of whom represent states that border Canada — met with Carney as well as senior Canadian ministers for national defence, industry and foreign affairs.
“We hope that this meeting will continue very positive discussions toward ensuring that some of the cracks that appeared in the relationship in recent months are healed, and we move forward together,” Shaheen said at a news conference.
Canada-U.S. relations withered in recent months after U.S. President Donald Trump slapped punishing tariffs on Canadian goods including automobiles, steel and aluminum, and mused about making Canada the 51st U.S. state.
Canada sends three-quarters of its exports to the United States, and Canadians have been angered by the tariffs and rhetoric, leading many to boycott U.S. goods and travel.
Trump has since suspended some of the U.S. tariffs pending negotiations, while Canada has paused some countermeasures for six months.
But the latest jobs report shows the levies are already damaging the Canadian economy, while leading to increased volatility in the markets.
The U.S. senators said the strained relationship has been hard for Americans too, especially in states that border Canada.
“Every single day, we feel it. We know it’s been bad,” Klobuchar commented. “But we just want to get to a better place, and that’s why we’re here today.”
There are tremendous opportunities to grow both economies, she added, “if we stick together.”
Cramer suggested that Canada and the United States close ranks against China, which he described as the number one threat to North America.
“Therein lies what I believe to be one of the greatest opportunities to heal this relationship, because we can unite around that common adversary with our integrated supply chains and some of the unique qualities of each country,” he said.
“We don’t have as much potash as y’all do, we don’t have the critical minerals that Canada does,” Cramer added.
