WASHINGTON — Canadian officials are set to meet with the U.S. commerce secretary in Washington Thursday — days after a dust-up with U.S. President Donald Trump that ended with Ontario pausing its surcharge on electricity exports to the United States.
Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman and Ontario Premier Doug Ford are expected to meet with Howard Lutnick.
Ford has said his goal is to get a coherent sense of the Trump administration's plans for tariffs. Ford said he expects to talk about the Canada-U.S.-Mexico-Agreement, also called CUSMA, and hopes to speed up a mandatory review of the trade pact set for next year.
"I want to find out where their bar is set," Ford told reporters Wednesday. "Rather than keep moving the goalpost, I want to find out how quickly you want to move forward and see what their requirements are."
Trump expanded his global trade war on Wednesday by hitting every country, including Canada, with 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum.
The day before, Trump threatened to double those duties on Canada but backed down after Ford agreed to halt a surcharge on electricity that Ontario sells to three U.S. states.
Trump claimed a win against Ford repeatedly on Wednesday, calling the premier "some guy in Ontario."
"I said, 'This will be won in one hour,' and (we) announced what we were going to do and they withdrew their little threat," Trump said.
Canada responded to Trump's steel and aluminum levies with 25 per cent tariffs on $29.8 billion worth of American goods, which took effect just after midnight Thursday.
Those duties focus on American steel and aluminum products but also include other items like smartphones, video game consoles and golf clubs. Spring and summer staples hit with Canadian tariffs include fishing gear and sleeping bags.
Champagne also directed Industry Canada to prioritize investments in projects that mostly use Canadian steel and aluminum.
"Canadian steel and aluminum form the basis of North America's critical infrastructure and manufacturing base, while supporting vital U.S. industries, including defence, shipbuilding and automotive," Champagne said in a statement.
"They are also essential for securing our collective energy future and generate high-quality jobs on both sides of the border."
Elsewhere in the American capital, Trump's choice for the next U.S ambassador to Canada is set to take questions Thursday as the relationship between the two countries is strained by tariffs and threats of annexation.
Pete Hoekstra, a former Michigan congressman, is scheduled to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for a nomination hearing.
— With files from David Baxter in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2025.
Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press