The Prime Minister of Ontario, Doug Ford, and the Federal Finance Minister Dominic Leblanc, suggested Wednesday that they want to leave a meeting with a senior US official with a “coherent plan” for the path of tariffs ahead.
The couple, along with Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the United States, will meet Thursday in Washington, DC, with the Secretary of Commerce of the United States Howard Lutnick, who invited Ford on Tuesday in the midst of a great increase, then of the commercial war between the two countries.
Canadian politicians said they expect a cordial meeting that will demolish the temperature, although it will occur after Lutnick and the president of the United States, Donald Trump, made comments referring to Ford as “a guy in Ontario” and his “little threat” of putting a surcharge in electricity exports to the United States.
“I said: ‘This will win in an hour’ and (we) we announced what we were going to do and withdrew their little threat,” Trump said Wednesday.
The United States has imposed 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Wednesday and the Canadian government announced tariffs on US goods.
Trump had threatened Tuesday to establish the steel and aluminum rate at 50 percent in response to Ontario placed a surcharge for the electricity that exports to three US states. UU., But both parties agreed to support those movements after Lutnick offered the meeting.
“It’s about building the relationship,” says Ford
Ford said he hopes to talk about the United States-Mexico-Canada agreement with Lutnick and hopes to advance in a USMCA SET review for next year.
“I want to make sure everyone understands that the expectation is to go there, build that relationship, talk about the USMCA,” he said Wednesday outside his office.
“We are not moving away with the USMCA, but for years in the business, it is about building the relationship, understanding what they require, what are our needs and advance.”
Ford also said that he wants the end of the frantic back and forth rate.
“I want to find out where your bar is established,” he said. “Instead of continuing to move the goal post, I want to find out how quickly you want to advance and see what your requirements are.”
Meeting on ‘Lower temperature’, says Leblanc
Leblanc, however, said he does not see Thursday’s meeting as one on the USMCA. He hopes to talk about the rates that are in place now and others that will enter into force on April 2.
“The conversation will be around temperature tomorrow and will focus on the process that President Trump established where Secretary Lutnick has until April 2 to determine a series of global tariff decisions,” he said.
But if one of the three parts in the USMCA wants to start a review before 2026, Canada is ready, Leblanc said.
“We have always said that the best approach is a coherent conversation that analyzes all these issues, where the three economies are part of the conversation and where we can reach the best agreement for North America,” he said.
“That has been the success of the previous conversations, but for the moment, it is difficult to get there, because day after the day, week a week, you have these decisions. Therefore, if we can clarify the weeds and reach a position in which we can reach April 2 with a coherent plan, I certainly believe that that would be the goal of tomorrow’s conversation.”
Lutnick told Fox Business that he hopes to have a “pleasant conversation” with Ford to “reduce the temperature” and save the details of when Canada has a new prime minister after a possibly imminent choice.
“I think it’s just to establish things, be sure to meet us,” Lutnick said. “And then we are going to negotiate with all Canada, so we will obviously wait for a new prime minister and then we are going to talk.”
These comments occur after other Lutnick made the day before CBS, describing Trump’s threat to increase steel and aluminum rates at 50 percent as a tactic to “break a guy in ontarium” that put an energy recharge.
Ford met Carney on Wednesday morning to talk about commerce
Ford put aside those comments, saying that the United States can call the final result a victory if you wish.
“Whatever it is,” he said. “They are playing politics (it is neither) here nor there.”
The prime minister met Wednesday morning with Mark Carney, designated by the Prime Minister, to discuss tariffs and free trade. The two had a productive discussion, according to the need to stand firm in front of Trump’s tariffs, Ford said.
Having Carney as Prime Minister could help convert a page into the relationship of Canada-United States, Ford predicted.
“It will be a better relationship than with Prime Minister (Justin) Trudeau and without lack of respect for Prime Minister Trudeau, I can tell him one thing, Mark Carney (he has an extremely cunning commercial mind,” he said.
“Understand the numbers, and so do President Trump and secretary Lutnick. I think they will get along very well. Both come from the same financial sectors.”
Ford, who is head of the group of the 13 Prime Ministers of Canada, also received a call on Wednesday morning with the other provincial leaders. He said he would receive advice from his counterparts before the discussion.
