US senators urge Canada to renew economic ties as tariff uncertainty continues to impact both sides
A bipartisan group of US senators has urged a renewed economic partnership with Canada, seeking to repair trade ties disrupted by US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.
As reported by Global News, the delegation met in Ottawa with Prime Minister Mark Carney and several Canadian ministers, emphasising the need to stabilise bilateral cooperation in trade, tourism, and defence.
US Republican Senator Kevin Cramer, one of the five lawmakers on the visit, said he wanted to “encourage Canadians to take another look and give us another chance.”
According to the senators, the relationship suffered under Trump’s trade war, which included sweeping tariffs on Canadian goods.
As per Reuters, Trump imposed 25 percent tariffs on most Canadian imports shortly after taking office, citing border and fentanyl-related concerns.
Although temporary exemptions were granted, the broader strategy created long-term trade volatility that continues to affect economic confidence.
US Democratic Senator Tim Kaine said Canadian tourism to the US has dropped significantly, with bookings to Virginia Beach and other destinations falling.
Statistics Canada has recorded four straight months of year-over-year declines in return trips to Canada from the US.
Kaine linked the senators’ visit to growing concerns among Americans over how Canada perceives the US following Trump’s actions: “We love Canada,” he said, noting the economic interdependence between the two countries.
Cramer and Kaine both said Carney’s election presents an opportunity to rebuild ties.
Carney has committed to meeting NATO’s two percent GDP defence target by 2030—two years earlier than the timeline promised by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Cramer called this a sign of a “new chapter” in Canada-US relations and added that defence initiatives such as Trump’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defence system should “naturally” include Canadian participation.
As per Global News, Carney has confirmed Canada could be part of the project but has not disclosed financial details.
Earlier this year, the Canadian government committed $6bn to over-the-horizon radar systems from Australia to support Arctic security and NORAD modernisation.
Despite these new avenues for cooperation, Kaine cautioned that Trump’s tariff regime continues to create instability.
“Uncertainty creates chaos and chaos hurts the economies of both nations,” he said, urging for more predictable trade frameworks.
Kaine also criticized the justification for Canadian tariffs under Trump’s fentanyl emergency declaration.
He acknowledged the opioid crisis in the US but stated, “Canada is not the problem compared with Mexico and China.”
Although fentanyl seizures at the northern US border have recently increased, Canada still accounts for less than one percent of total fentanyl seized.
Both senators stressed that a new bilateral understanding would depend on coordination between Trump and Carney.
“The ultimate deal-makers are Carney and Trump,” said Cramer, “and both of them know how to make a deal.”
