Power & Politics Trump's trade rep says deal with Canada must have higher tariffs
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Feb 25, 2026 Maninder Sidhu, Canada’s international trade minister focused on diversification and new FTAs. Katie Simpson, Washington reporter who interviewed U.S. trade officials about Canada–U.S. tensions. They discuss U.S. calls for protective tariffs, reshoring pressures, Canada’s India trade push, critical minerals and tech cooperation, and domestic political fallout from U.S. trade signals.
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USMCA Failed To Reshore As Expected
- Greer argued USMCA fell short on reshoring and U.S. content, prompting calls for stricter rules.
- He noted auto rules resulted in more Mexican content, not faster reshoring to the U.S.
Unexpected Mike Johnson Interview At State Of The Union
- Katie Simpson unexpectedly interviewed House Speaker Mike Johnson at the State of the Union, and he urged Canadians to take Trump seriously but not literally.
- Johnson emphasised positive U.S.-Canada relations and downplayed tariff rhetoric as political heat.
Ottawa Stresses Preferential U.S. Market Access
- Federal ministers emphasised Canada still enjoys preferential access to the U.S. market with low average tariffs.
- They noted sectoral exceptions mean industries like steel, aluminium and softwood lumber still face concentrated tariff pain.