The same Ontario-government ad that froze Canada-U.S. trade talks last year is now part of the backdrop for a high-stakes diplomatic push south of the border.
Prime Minister Mark Carney was in New York City on Thursday making the case to American business leaders that a more economically independent Canada is a better ally for the United States, not a worse one. He addressed the Economic Club of New York as part of a broader effort to attract new international investment and signal that Canada is open for business beyond its traditional relationship with Washington.
"Canada Strong will help make America great again," Carney told the audience, deliberately borrowing the slogan Donald Trump has used across two presidential campaigns.
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What Carney old U.S. business leaders in New York
Carney's pitch centered on the idea that Canada's push to diversify trade partnerships makes it more resilient and, by extension, more valuable as a partner to the U.S.
"We know that while Canada and the United States have had our differences over the centuries, we have always worked and eventually worked through them, because we share values and our common interests run deep," he said.
He singled out the auto and critical mineral sectors as areas where the two countries should continue working together, and described his vision as a "new partnership" built on something more durable than the current relationship.
"A true partnership that reimagines cooperation in specific sectors that are deeply challenged by global competition," he said. "A partnership with a different Canada, a stronger Canada, a more confident Canada... a country that's predictable, reliable and principled in a world that's anything but."
His office has not identified the CEOs, entrepreneurs, business leaders and money managers he is scheduled to meet with during the trip.
Where Canada-U.S. Trade Negotiations Stand in 2026
The New York visit comes as Mexican and American officials meet this week for their own CUSMA talks. Canada has not yet been officially brought into those negotiations.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Tuesday that while there are significant trade issues with Canada, he has been in regular contact with Canadian counterparts. He also suggested the Trump administration is unlikely to simply renew the deal and that all three countries should prepare for extended negotiations.
Under the current framework, each country faces a three-way choice in July: renew CUSMA for another 16 years, withdraw from it, or signal neither renewal nor withdrawal, which would trigger an annual review process that could stretch talks out for up to a decade.
Greer added that most countries have "begrudgingly" accepted some level of tariffs will remain, but said Canada is in a "different spot" and it is "hard to see where that ends." Tariffs, he said, would remain on both Canada and Mexico regardless of the trade agreement.
Why Canada-U.S. Trade Talks Stalled in the First Place
The stalled talks have a specific origin. Trump froze trade negotiations with Canada last year after an Ontario-government-sponsored ad quoted former president Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs. The move angered the White House and effectively shut down bilateral talks.
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Things appeared to improve in March after a meeting between Greer and Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc, but no official negotiations have been launched since.
The broader relationship has continued to show cracks. Earlier this month, the Trump administration paused the long-standing Permanent Joint Board on Defense, a bilateral body that has been in place for decades.
How Canada Is Building Trade Ties Outside the U.S.
While trade talks with Washington remain in limbo, Carney's government has been moving on other fronts.
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On Wednesday, the federal government announced it is entering into contract negotiations with Sweden's Saab to purchase a fleet of surveillance aircraft for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
The New York trip and the Saab announcement both reflect the same strategic logic: Canada is actively building relationships and making investments that do not depend on a quick resolution with the United States.
*With files from CP
