US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra has dismissed claims that American tariff policies and presidential rhetoric are specifically targeting Canada.
In an interview with CTV News on Sunday, Hoekstra stated that the recent economic measures are part of a broader international strategy to safeguard domestic growth.
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“We put tariffs on every country in the world. We did not take aim at Canada,” he said.
The ambassador emphasized that the trade framework was designed with global market conditions in mind.
“We took a policy that we were implementing on a global basis that we believed we had to put in place to keep America strong and prosperous,” Hoekstra added.
The comments come after the enactment of a 10 percent global tariff on most imports under the Trump administration.
However, most goods covered by the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) remain exempt.
Pre-existing tariffs based on national security grounds continue to affect Canadian exports such as steel, aluminum, copper, and lumber.
In response to ongoing trade pressures, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has pushed to diversify trade partners and implement a “Buy Canadian” federal procurement policy.
Hoekstra noted that the American business community would handle trade disagreements differently than declaring a systemic breakdown.
“We would take a look at our business community, where we’re doing well.
We wouldn’t go to our largest trading partner, and say there’s a rupture, and we’re actually going to be looking somewhere else,” he said.
