Pete Hoekstra
US ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra says the current stage of trade negotiations is slow moving, but not stalled. …“There’s a lot of issues that are still on the table … the next few weeks are going to kind of be slow,” he said. …he noted that Washington is currently more focused on getting a deal with China. …Hoekstra also pushed back against the idea that the US has unfairly targeted Canada with tariffs, saying the effective tariff rate on Canadian goods remains low. …Hoekstra also criticized Canada’s retaliatory measures, saying they’ve placed the country in the same category as China. …Despite those tensions, Hoekstra said he remains optimistic. “Listen to your lead trade negotiator, Kirsten Hillman,” he said. “What did she say? Canada right now is in a very enviable position.” Pollster Nik Nanos said “Canadians are increasingly worried about Trump and the state of the trade negotiations”.
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