U.S. ambassador says country is 'open to doing business' with Canada amid trade war

Craig Lord · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 16, 2025 5:51 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Canada and different countries should not springiness up connected doing concern with the United States, the country's caller ambassador to Canada and erstwhile ambassador to the United Nations said Friday astatine the B7 acme league successful Ottawa.

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra told the assemblage of large concern and governmental figures that the U.S. is "open for business" — adjacent arsenic President Donald Trump digs successful connected his assertion that helium volition not assistance tariffs connected Canada, and aft helium told Prime Minister Mark Carney determination was thing helium could accidental to alteration that.

"America is unfastened to doing business. We're unfastened to doing concern with you, our friends," Hoekstra said.

The ambassador besides claimed the president is moving astatine a accelerated gait connected his agenda. "We person ne'er experienced thing similar this successful American politics," helium said.

The B7 is simply a spouse league to the G7 acme happening successful Alberta adjacent month.

'This excessively shall pass': Haley

Nikki Haley, Trump's erstwhile rival for the Republican statesmanlike nomination, was besides among the cardinal speakers astatine the event, wherever concern leaders and diplomats assembled to illustration a mode done planetary commercialized uncertainty.

Her comments travel arsenic Trump stokes instability successful the planetary commercialized bid done tariffs, forcing immoderate businesses to reorient their proviso chains distant from the American market.

"Don't presume that the U.S. doesn't privation to bash concern with your country," said Haley, a erstwhile authorities politician and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. "They really bash privation to bash concern with your country. It's conscionable messy close now."

Haley compared the existent commercialized situation with the United States to "growing pains" and said "this excessively shall pass."

She took portion successful a sheet treatment Friday greeting connected however concern leaders tin physique spot successful an progressively fractured world.

She said that portion each businesses should person a "24-hour rule" encouraging them to intermission earlier reacting to large geopolitical shifts, she joked that it should beryllium a "72-hour rule" for those successful the U.S. close now.

Haley different avoided commenting straight connected Trump, who defeated her for the Republican information successful 2024. Haley, who was Trump's ambassador to the United Nations during his archetypal presidency, was not fixed a presumption successful his 2nd administration.

Trump has repeatedly insisted the United States needs thing from Canada, though Canada is simply a important root for the U.S. for aggregate cardinal products, including vigor and captious minerals.