WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump's choice for United States ambassador to Canada is facing tough questions in his Senate nomination hearing today, as the relationship between the two countries is strained by tariffs and threats of annexation.
Pete Hoekstra, a former Michigan congressman, told the hearing Trump has a series of priorities for Canada, which include freer trade and fighting the fentanyl trade.
New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen pushed back on Hoekstra, saying that the volume of fentanyl coming from Canada is minuscule and noting that Canada has one of the lowest tariffs regimes.
Shaheen's state borders Canada and she says businesses there were operating according to the rules in the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, which was negotiated by Trump during his first administration.
Hoekstra's hearing comes as Canadian officials are set to meet with the U.S. commerce secretary in Washington today — days after a dust-up with Trump that ended with Ontario pausing its surcharge on electricity exports to the United States.
Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman and Ontario Premier Doug Ford are meeting with Howard Lutnick, and Ford says his goal for the meeting is to get a coherent sense of the Trump administration's plans for tariffs.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2025.
Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press
