Canada and United States | Ties too strong to be broken, pleads the American ambassador

(Ottawa) No president, whatever policies he advocates, can jeopardize the depth of relations that exist between Canada and the United States, believes the United States Ambassador to Ottawa, David Cohen.

The links that have been forged over the years between Canadian and American leaders, between provincial premiers and state governors, between mayors of large cities, business people, members of civil society and ordinary people on both sides of the border are too strong to wither away due to Donald Trump’s return to power, says Mr. Cohen in an interview with The Press.

Describing himself as an “eternal optimist,” Mr. Cohen emphasizes that the first administration of Donald Trump, however tumultuous it was in the eyes of a majority of Canadians, “did not explode” Canadian-American relations.

“I think the future of the relationship between the United States and Canada is excellent, and I build on the fact that we have one of the best relations between two countries in the world, that we have had this relationship for over 100 years old, that it is durable, that it is resilient, that it is solid and that its roots extend throughout our two countries,” affirms the diplomat during our 30-minute interview.

Where to shock

At the end of November, President-elect Donald Trump threatened, upon his return to power on January 20, to impose tariffs of 25% on all Canadian and Mexican products if the Canada and Mexico are not stopping what he calls the flow of drugs and immigrants crossing their borders.

This threat caused shock waves in the country. Because if it is implemented, it could cause a recession and force the Canadian government to retaliate by imposing tariffs on American products.

Faced with this threat, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went to Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s estate in Florida, to meet the president-elect and some members of his future administration. During the meeting, which was also attended by the Minister of Public Safety Dominic LeBlanc (now Minister of Finance), Mr. Trudeau insisted that the issues linked to the Canadian-American border are not of the same order as those that we observed on the border between the United States and Mexico.

In an interview, Mr. Cohen makes a point of emphasizing that he is not speaking on behalf of the next administration. His term as ambassador will end in January. His successor, Peter Hoekstra, a former Michigan congressman, was chosen by Donald Trump.

Relationships maintained

“I can’t predict what the next administration will say or do, but you know the next president was president of the United States for four years, and Canada-U.S. relations did not explode in during these four years,” he insists.

During Mr. Trump’s first term, Canada, the United States and Mexico successfully renegotiated the trade pact signed in the 1990s (it is now known as the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement or CUSMA). This agreement is due for review in 2026 and talks are expected to begin next year.

On the border, Cohen says there are “stakes” that are minimal compared to those on the U.S.-Mexico border, which Washington is more concerned about. Certainly, last year there was an increase in the number of migrants who entered the United States irregularly through Canada. But this number is back on the decline, he points out, after Canada’s decision to impose visas again on Mexican visitors this year, as desired by the Biden administration.

The Canadian government’s decision to reduce the number of temporary foreign workers and foreign students in Canada also helped to correct the situation. “The Trudeau government examined what was happening on the immigration file. I think he recognized that a certain recalibration was appropriate,” analyzes the ambassador.

Defend the North

During his three years in Ottawa, Mr. Cohen said he was satisfied with having helped restore Canadians’ sense of trust in the United States. He also expressed his satisfaction to see that the Canadian government is affirming its intention to increase spending on defense and security.

“In the past, people could understand Canada not wanting to spend a lot of money on defense. They saw that the country is bordered by two large oceans to the east and west, and that to the north is the Arctic and to the south is the United States. Maybe that was a practical way of looking at things 20, 30 or 40 years ago. But today, seeing the Arctic as a buffer zone is a colossal security mistake,” he argues.

“The Arctic is now a gateway to North America, a gateway to Canada. Look at all the attention Russia and China are paying to the Arctic. […] We need to invest more money to defend the Arctic,” he says.