Freeland: New Canada-US Relations Committee Convenes to Address ‘Urgent Issue’ of Trump Victory

November 8, 2024 TruthUSA

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland stated that the reinstatement of the cabinet committee focusing on Canada–United States relations was prompted by the “urgent issue” of Donald Trump’s election victory in the United States.

“The concept behind it is that it will function similarly to the COVID committee, bringing together ministers to address, in a practical manner, an urgent issue,” Freeland informed reporters on Nov. 8.

The Cabinet Committee on Canada-U.S. Relations was re-established by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a day earlier, with its mandate being examining “critical Canada-U.S. issues” in light of Trump returning to the White House. The committee, consisting of Liberal cabinet ministers, is led by Freeland and assisted by Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc.

Freeland mentioned that at the committee’s initial meeting, held earlier that day, the group engaged in a “very constructive” discussion concentrating on the Canada–U.S. trading relationship and border. The finance minister added that she had recently met with representatives from the steel sector in Hamilton, the auto parts manufacturing sector in Toronto, and the leaders of Canada’s largest banks.

During Trump’s previous presidency from 2016 to 2020, he imposed tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, which were eventually lifted. He also expressed intentions on the campaign trail to impose extensive tariffs on imported goods, including 10 to 20 percent tariffs on all imports into the United States and 60 percent tariffs on imports from China.

Freeland Says Trump ‘Respects Strength’

At the press conference, Freeland was questioned about the possibility of Canada imposing reciprocal tariffs on the United States, given that Canada did so in 2018 in response to the president’s 25 percent tariffs on steel and 10 percent on aluminum imports. Freeland did not directly address the question but acknowledged that Canada had reluctantly and unhappily taken action against the “illegal tariffs.”

“What’s significant about that entire experience is that Canada and the United States ultimately agreed that it was not logical for our two countries to have those tariffs in place,” Freeland stated, highlighting her close collaboration with then-U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

During a G7 meeting held in Canada in 2018, Trudeau affirmed that he wouldn’t hesitate to take retaliatory measures in response to U.S. tariffs. Trump, who had already departed the summit, stated that Trudeau had “acted so meek and mild” during the meeting and that the prime minister had made the remarks after his departure. Trudeau’s office clarified that the prime minister had not said anything new, “both in public and in private conversations with the president.”

Freeland was also questioned about Trump’s comments from 2018 indicating that his team did not “like their representative very much,” presumably referring to her. Freeland indicated that she would not “attribute words to him,” but from her experience, “Trump appreciates strength, and he respects individuals and countries who are strong and unequivocal in defending their nations.”

“We reached a beneficial trade agreement with the former Trump administration. We established a mutually beneficial deal that is advantageous for the U.S. and Canada,” she remarked.

Trump renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) during his first term, and while seeking reelection, he vowed to “officially notify” Mexico and Canada of his intention to invoke the six-year renegotiation provisions of CUSMA, which replaced NAFTA.

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