00:00:56.320It got me wondering that if there is a deal, why a three-day pause?
00:01:01.600Why not simply have an indefinite pause?
00:01:04.780Well, I think there's probably procedures and some things that both sides need to get done.
00:01:11.400On our side, number one, we've got to take what was written or what was agreed to verbally.
00:01:20.420I know that my information says that there were negotiations and phone calls going on last night well into the night, 10, 11 o'clock at night, because both sides are really committed to getting to a deal.
00:01:35.080And they want to put down what may have been communicated verbally and put it down on a piece of paper so that both sides have a clear understanding as to exactly what they believe each party has agreed to.
00:01:48.120That's just that's just making sure, hey, we're going to get it right.
00:01:52.300We don't want any mistakes. I've talked to our our trade folks this morning.
00:01:57.680There may be a couple of loose ends that need to be tied up, but nothing that we see is significant.
00:02:04.040I can't speak for the Canadian side. I saw the statement from the prime minister.
00:02:09.220I'm sure that, you know, he's going to want to go through, at least I would think from what I've seen in the past,
00:02:15.580is that he would want to review that with folks in Canada
00:02:20.540to make sure that, you know, he's got their support to move ahead.
00:02:25.340But clearly there's been a lot of progress that has been made
00:02:28.700on both sides in the last three weeks, especially in the last 48 hours.
00:02:34.300We just want to make sure we get it right.
00:03:08.180You know, this is now for the president to make an announcement, for the president to frame this agreement how the president wants to frame it.
00:03:20.200This is for the prime minister to make an announcement to frame this as he would like to frame it.
00:03:26.400It's really a bad place for an ambassador to get out in front of the principal on this.
00:03:33.840I've got some insights in those kinds of things, but I've been very specific with our trade negotiators, the people who have the details, you know, say, just give me an overview.
00:04:11.200Well, being from Michigan, I'm sure you're aware that some of the dairy farmers in your state would love to be able to have access to the Canadian market to a greater degree than they have had in the past.
00:04:25.220We'll have to see, I guess, what comes out of that.
00:04:28.700And then, of course, there's talk about Keystone XL, which, of course, has been dormant, says the president may be woken from the grave, or I believe that was the term that came out from somebody.
00:05:01.620Sure. I mean, there's been a lot of talk over the last 16, 18 months about America's desire to acquire and have access to more oil, specifically oil from Canada.
00:05:14.240There's been a lot of discussion about, you know, Canada wanting to export more oil, not only to Asia and perhaps even to Europe, but also making more oil available to the United States.
00:05:28.280Pipelines, you know, would be absolutely essential for making more oil available to the United States of America.
00:05:37.640Let's see what the president and let's see what the prime minister have, you know, have reached agreement on.
00:05:45.400Obviously, the president last night by teasing the XL pipeline, you know, has there must be something in this agreement to be to do with oil.
00:05:57.220Let's see exactly what it is. Yeah, he said we have no tariffs going into Canada anymore.
00:06:03.480I mean, that's quite something to eliminate all tariffs.
00:06:12.800And then, of course, there's also cues by that's, I guess, the other confusing part.
00:06:18.380Does this only deal with this agreement only deal with the added 50 percent tariffs that were announced or does it extend to our overall trade deal?
00:06:29.920Well, I think all the indications have been that to move this agreement forward, we're taking a look at 232s.
00:06:37.900Obviously, we had to take a look at 338s and those and excuse me, those types of things.
00:06:44.500Exactly. Whether they're all included, whether some of them are included or whatever.
00:06:51.240You know, let's see exactly where the president and the prime minister and their teams ended up in, you know,
00:06:58.500in this agreement in Washington, uh, last night. Yeah. I mean, he was, the president was asked if
00:07:05.300the U S plans to drop any of the tariffs on Canadian autos and the president's response
00:07:10.060was we're reducing it a little bit. I guess the devil is in the details. We'll just have to wait
00:07:14.980to see. Yeah. I, I I'm thinking that, uh, you know, you know, once the agreement is, uh, is
00:07:22.080reached, there's going to be, uh, I, I hope the focus is not on just, you know, top lines and
00:07:27.420those types of things. My impression is that, you know, you're going to have to get into details to
00:07:33.700see what effective tariff rates there will be between the United States and Canada going both
00:07:40.680ways. And, you know, but again, that's get it on paper, have the have the principles agree to it,
00:07:50.440have the principles announce it, and then have all the rest of us go through and read the fine
00:07:55.160print to see, you know, okay, this is what the principal said. What does it really mean
00:08:02.540day to day? I think, you know, both teams negotiated very, very tough positions, but
00:08:09.720positions that they, you know, obviously the president thinks that this is a big win for
00:08:15.000the United States of America. But obviously the prime minister believes that this is a good win,
00:08:21.840a big win for the Canadians to move forward.
00:08:25.860And as so many people have said over the last year, year and a half,
00:08:30.440when Canada and America are working together, it really benefits both economies.
00:08:36.700It benefits the national security of North America.
00:08:40.880You know, the pillars and the hallmarks that have been part of this relationship for so long.
00:08:46.620And I think that this agreement will go a long way in taking a great agreement.
00:08:52.100Remember, there's two and a half billion dollars worth of trade that goes back and forth across that border each and every day.
00:09:00.060And a lot of folks believe that that number can expand and grow, strengthening the economies of both of our countries.
00:09:08.060At the same time, that Canada is also looking for, you know, other markets, as is the United States.
00:09:16.100Both of us are not only looking to increase our business with our neighbors, but we're also looking to increase our access to markets that provide us with fair access to those markets.
00:09:29.000And again, Canada and the U.S. are also looking to make sure that, you know, we hold other parts of the world accountable and that North America doesn't become a dumping ground for products from the rest of the world that hurt American workers, hurt Canadian workers and these types of things.
00:09:49.580We're looking to protect our economies, expand our economies and move forward and move forward together.
00:09:56.600Speaking of becoming a dumping ground, to what degree is the movement of Chinese EVs into Canada on the radar screen of the president?
00:10:06.540And do you think that that has come into play in negotiations?
00:10:12.880You know, obviously, there have been a lot of press reports about this.
00:10:15.820It's not only on the radar screen of the president, and it's also on the radar screen of our Congress.
00:10:23.020And the president, you know, it's it's it's a decision of a sovereign country, Canada, if they want to allow electric vehicles from China into Canada.
00:10:35.600We've obviously expressed our concerns about that.
00:10:38.860We'd like to see a stronger North American auto industry.
00:10:43.500And we are very leery of losing or weakening that industry that has developed over decades.
00:10:51.900and provide an opening to China from our Congress has expressed from a national security standpoint
00:10:59.080that allowing Chinese vehicles into the United States provides or creates a security
00:11:07.720vulnerability for the United States. So yeah, China, Chinese vehicles, those are all concerns0.98
00:11:17.780at multiple levels in the U.S. government,
00:11:20.960and I am sure they are also at a concern for our Canadian counterparts.
00:11:28.000Well, as far as I know, they're being sold,
00:11:30.820and will there be a problem for owners of these vehicles crossing the border?
00:11:36.160I mean, at the Gordie Howe Bridge or any other point of entry into the U.S.,
00:11:42.380do you anticipate that they will simply be banned from entering the country?
00:11:46.140I mean, there have been discussions along those lines, but, you know, having served in Congress, taking discussions and moving them to policy and moving them into law is sometimes very, very difficult, two very different things.
00:12:01.680I'm not going to speculate on that at this point.
00:12:04.900But, you know, that that that is an area under development and those types of things.
00:12:11.780And something probably that in the long run, it would be helpful if Canada and the United States took similar positions on that issue.
00:12:27.240No, I know. I know. And, you know, we do we do business with China and those types of things.
00:12:32.600But part of this agreement and part of what we've been working on with Canada is to make sure that on a number of these serious issues that we close the space between our two countries
00:12:56.600to ensure that we mutually benefit between the relationship of the United States and Canada
00:13:04.880and that we strengthen ourselves versus our adversaries overseas.
00:13:11.580And that includes, you know, economically, how do we strengthen ourselves and position ourselves?
00:13:17.020Also militarily, you know, we've had phenomenal success with NORAD over the decades.
00:13:22.300So we're not only interested in economic security, we're also interested in military security, especially as what's happening with the Arctic and those types of things that doing and developing strategies together on those threats may be very, very beneficial than trying to challenge those threats individually.
00:13:50.040it sounds like you're talking fortress north america i mean the perception in canada as
00:13:56.600you're well aware is that the united states is putting itself first in a very strong way
00:14:02.460bringing back jobs that were lost not only to asia and other parts of the world but to canada as well
00:14:10.100in order to increase america's manufacturing base and produce for itself to protect itself
00:14:18.380But what I'm hearing you say is that there may be some give and take on the security issue insofar as it means Canada blocking China to a greater degree.
00:14:30.580I mean, last time we spoke, I asked you if there was any danger based on President Trump's actions that you might be pushing Canada into the Chinese orbit more and more.
00:14:43.920Now I'm hearing you say that that may have been, and I don't want to put words in your mouth, but that is it.0.99
00:15:03.320But, no, I mean, I think all along the U.S. and Canada are very, very aware and conscious of the threats that are posed to us by Canada, excuse me, by China.0.86
00:15:18.920And, you know, I don't think people may have said, you know, that some of our actions may be pushing Canada closer to China.0.84
00:15:33.320I really don't believe that that was ever in the cards.
00:17:17.140You know, it's, you know, the, you know, the, yeah.
00:17:22.620I have lots that I'd love to say, but discretion is the better part of valor.
00:17:34.260And today is the day where we're really thankful that we've moved forward significantly on the trade front.
00:17:45.740Hopefully we bring this to a close in the next 48 to 72 hours.
00:17:51.900Hopefully, you know, you and I are reading through this agreement on the weekend and we walk away and say, oh, man, this is really good.
00:18:01.040This is good for Canada. This is good for the United States. And, yeah, we had to give some things up.
00:18:06.760But at the end of the day, this is going to be good for us.
00:18:10.020And most importantly, it's going to be good for the populations of both countries in terms of bringing economic prosperity and military security to both countries.
00:18:22.400Ambassador, thank you so much for coming on the show.