Yesterday, Chris Forbes, Deputy Minister of Finance, hosted the third briefing with Canadian industry and labour stakeholders, and provincial and territorial representatives on Canada-U.S. economic issues. Arun Alexander, Canada's Deputy Ambassador to the United States of America, and Shannon Grainger, Assistant Deputy Minister, Portfolio Affairs and Communications, Public Safety Canada, also joined the call.
During the session, officials underscored that preventing the imposition of U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods remains the government's top priority. Canadian ministers and officials continue advocating with American counterparts to highlight concrete investments and results being delivered through Canada's Border Plan, which directly responds to U.S. concerns related to our shared border. As well, Canada continues to raise awareness in the U.S. of the damage that U.S. tariffs would cause to Americans and their economy. Participants agreed on the importance of governments and businesses working together on advocacy.
At the same time, the government stands ready to respond swiftly to any trade actions taken by the U.S. Officials outlined that the government is prepared to provide support to help Canadian workers and businesses mitigate impacts should the U.S. impose tariffs. Any response will be proportionate, adaptable, and build on lessons learned from past economic and trade disruptions.
