U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra says Canadians should prepare for American tariffs to remain in place, even as frustration grows across Canada over Washington’s trade measures. In an interview with Radio Canada, reported by CBC News, Hoekstra said the Trump administration views tariffs as a standing policy rather than a temporary pressure tactic.
Hoekstra, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, said the United States is disappointed with the pace of trade talks with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government. He said Washington believes more progress could have been made and suggested the U.S. side wants to review stronger proposals from Canada.
The ambassador defended the tariffs by saying they are being applied broadly across America’s trading partners. When asked whether he understands why Canadians feel unfairly targeted by their closest neighbour and largest trading partner, Hoekstra said no, arguing that the United States has imposed tariffs on countries around the world.
The dispute has placed renewed pressure on key Canadian industries, especially steel, aluminum, autos, copper, and softwood lumber. Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum have been especially damaging, contributing to job losses and weaker exports while Ottawa works to support affected sectors.
Hoekstra also criticized Canadian provinces and territories that removed American alcohol from store shelves in response to the tariffs. He described the move as unfair and said it sends a negative message about whether Canada wants to continue doing business with the United States. However, he made clear that restoring U.S. liquor sales would not automatically lead to tariff relief.
The ambassador also took issue with Canadian buy local policies and comments from some politicians discouraging travel to the United States. He argued that Canada should focus on making a stronger sales pitch to American businesses rather than pulling back from trade and tourism ties.
Hoekstra pointed to Mexico as an example of a country that has moved more aggressively to address Washington’s trade concerns. He suggested Mexico’s approach helped secure a timeline for formal negotiations, while Canada has yet to reach the same stage despite dropping most counter tariffs and abandoning its digital services tax last year.
On defence, Hoekstra gave Canada some credit for meeting NATO’s two percent of GDP spending benchmark but said Washington is still looking for more detail on how Canada plans to reach NATO’s newer five percent target by 2035. He ended the interview by saying he enjoys his role as ambassador because, in his words, he loves defending America every day.
