Article content

OTTAWA – The U.S. ambassador to Canada says Canadians eagerly watching Americans go to the polls on Tuesday should “take a breath.”

“I don’t know if anyone knows Kamala Harris’ general philosophy and position on the full scope of the U.S.-Canada relationship,” David Cohen said in an interview with the National Post on Tuesday afternoon.

Article content

“And with all due respect, even though he's already had one term as president, I don't think anyone knows in 2024 to 2025 how far Donald Trump's approach to U.S.-Canada relations will go, but it is a relationship.” that was long-lasting.”

Cohen says while the focus is on who Americans will elect as their next president, they are also voting on who will fill seats in the House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate and various state legislatures.

Together, these hundreds of people will be involved not in domestic U.S. politics but in international politics, the ambassador said.

“That is the reason, even in difficult elections – AAnd we have experienced many difficult political times and election cycles throughout our country's history — “Shocking changes in policy or position changes as a result of elections are a real rarity in the U.S. system,” Cohen said.

With memories of Trump's last term in office, members of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet have expressed confidence that Canada is prepared for any changes the U.S. presidential election may bring.

Article content

Article content

One possibility officials are eyeing is new tariffs Trump wants to impose on imported goods.

In 2018, Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on Canadian steel and 10 percent on aluminum, leading to Canada announcing its own retaliatory tariffs on American products. The tariffs ended in 2019.

Cohen called the former president's tariffs “campaign rhetoric” that he said is still within the realm of hypothetical.

Still, he believes Canada was wise to prepare for a new government.

“I think it's prudent for Canada to be willing to engage in conversation and analysis of these new policies, and I think Canada is doing so, through its Team Canada approach, quite effectively.”

This approach refers to the outreach efforts undertaken not only by federal officials but also by members of Trudeau's Cabinet and provincial premiers and business leaders to their U.S. counterparts to convey the importance of the country's trade relationships.

Article content

Trudeau took a similar approach when Trump was first elected to the White House in 2016, as they began renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico starting in 2017, resulting in a renewal of the Canada-United States-Mexico agreement.

Cohen said Tuesday that Canadians should be reassured that no matter who takes the presidency, the relationship between Canada and the U.S. remains vital, considering the two countries have traded daily goods and goods over the past year Services trade worth about $3.4 billion has been shared, keeping millions of jobs there on both sides of the border.

One thing Americans aren't thinking about, however, is who Trudeau's main political opponent is, whom the Liberal Party of Canada often attacks by drawing comparisons to former President Trump.

“I wouldn't even want to risk estimating the percentage of Americans who could name Pierre Poilievre,” Cohen said, adding that he believes Canadians' lives might be a little more pleasant “if they followed the American cable.” “Would pay a little less attention to the message.”

National Post
[email protected]

Get more in-depth political coverage and analysis from the National Post in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, featuring Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin every Wednesday and Friday exclusively for subscribers. Register here.

On our website you will find the latest news, exclusive news, longreads and provocative comments. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and subscribe to our daily newsletter, Posted, here.

Article content