All 13 of Canada’s provincial premiers have descended upon Washington in an unprecedented effort to remind American officials that their northern neighbor is a pivotal partner as the U.S. weighs imposing tariffs on Canadian imports. Ontario Premier Doug Ford clearly revealed that this is a pitch to enlist Canadian provinces as the U.S., in Ford’s words, seeks a “decoupling from China and its global proxies.” Ford told the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that this fight against this “common enemy,” as he put it, would require long-term thinking. “It will require friends and allies like Canada and Ontario,” Ford said, “and I can tell you, Canada is here to help…. Let’s work together and protect ourselves from the likes of China.”
How much effect this will have on U.S. President Donald Trump is yet to be seen, but it undoubtedly will receive an enthusiastic response from the gaggle of China hawks on Capitol Hill and in the Trump Administration. The Canadians were also playing, as is Zelenskyy, the “critical minerals” card with Trump, promising to build “a critical mineral security alliance” which would make both American and Canadian supply chains less reliant on China.
