Former US commerce secretary says he ‘can’t imagine’ Trump will impose tariffs on Canadian energy
As the world prepares for US president-elect Donald Trump to impose global tariffs when he takes office in January, his former commerce secretary says he “doesn’t think” Trump would want to impose tariffs on Canadian energy.
Wilbur Ross, a billionaire investor who served in Trump’s cabinet from 2017 to 2021, said Rosemary Barton Live that Canada’s energy tax is “going to go up [U.S.] costs and does nothing for most American jobs.”
“We’re importing a lot of energy into Canada,” Ross told CBC political reporter Rosemary Barton on Sunday’s episode. “I can’t think [president-elect] I want to charge that.”
Since Trump’s decisive election victory, Canadian government officials, provinces and industries have begun to prepare for his second administration and one of his key campaign promises – a minimum tax rate of 10 percent around the world.
Canadian officials did not receive confirmation from talks with many of Trump’s allies before the US election, CBC news was read from one official information to the details of those expressions.
In an exclusive interview, top political reporter Rosemary Barton talks to Donald Trump’s former commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, about the president-elect’s plan on trade and tariffs, and his advice on how Canada should respond.
Ontario and Alberta, two provinces that would be hit hard by Trump’s proposed tax, have begun taking steps to try to influence the new US administration.
Earlier this week, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Vic Fedeli, said the province would start a marketing push in January to remind the US of the importance of bilateral trade.
James Rajotte, representing Alberta in the United States, said Rosemary Barton Live On Sunday, the province contacted American lawmakers to make sure that “our position is heard on issues such as prices in the energy sector. [and] Energy security in North America.”
“In terms of costs, obviously we’re making the argument that we’re connected… Let’s not put barriers between that energy trade,” Rajotte told Barton.
Senior political reporter Rosemary Barton talks to Alberta’s top representative to the United States, James Rajotte, and Ontario’s representative to Washington, David Paterson, about their concerns and messages to Washington ahead of the new Trump administration.
Alberta’s oil and gas sector was worth $127 billion in trade last year with the US, according to ATB Financial. That represents 82 percent of the province’s total exports and makes the US its largest trading partner – by far.
Meanwhile, Canada’s ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman, said Rosemary Barton Live that Canadian officials “have done a lot of work to lay the groundwork for a substantive discussion on this policy.”
Hillman also said it’s clear that “former president Trump believes in tariffs as a policy tool,” and that Canada needs to “demonstrate with facts” that imposing tariffs on Canadian goods will have a negative impact on US jobs and income.
Trump will ‘listen’ to Canada: Ross
When asked how Canada should talk to Trump to get him to listen to the country, Ross said Canada “has to see that America has a stronger set of values and policies now than it had before.”
“I think [Trump] you will listen. He was respectful [Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau. He respects other world leaders,” said Ross.
“So if I were in Canada, I would look at what things Canada would volunteer to do to facilitate relations with the US … There would have to be consensus on both sides.”
Trump and Trudeau have had disagreements in the past. After a The G7 Summit in Charlevoix, Que.in 2018, Trump called Trudeau “very dishonest” and “weak.”
At the time, Canada and the US were in NAFTA negotiations and at odds over adding a sunset provision to the new trade agreement.
Hillman said Trump and Trudeau have a “really warm relationship” and that “Canadians are focused on the fact that former president Trump can use colorful language.”
“But I think we also know, when we look, it’s important to see what [Trump] he does and it’s important to see how he works with his partners, not just what he says,” said Hillman. “And I can say that we’ve had a successful relationship in the past and I’m very hopeful that we will again. .”
In a call Wednesday evening, Trudeau congratulated Trump on winning a second term and discussed trade and security issues. Source familiar with the call who spoke to CBC News overall, the conversation was warm and friendly.
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