A good Canada–U.S. trade deal starts with confidence at home

2026-09-11 · Federal Conservative · Canada–U.S. trade · Jobs

Canada’s trade message should be firm without becoming small. The useful Conservative argument this week is not that Canada should pick a fight with its closest customer, neighbour and ally. It is that Canada should walk into every negotiation with clear goals, visible leverage and confidence in the workers, resources and businesses that make this country valuable. Pierre Poilievre’s New York comments, reported by CBC, were strongest where they made that patriotic distinction: he told an American audience he was there to fight tariffs and jobs, and he declined to attack Canada’s prime minister on foreign soil.

That matters because trade politics can quickly turn into theatre. A positive voter-resource standard is better: ask what would actually help Canadian families, mills, farms, auto workers, ports, builders, miners, truckers and exporters. CBC reported Poilievre saying Canada and the United States have a deeply interconnected economic relationship that has delivered peace and prosperity for decades, and that the way forward should be tariff-free trade. That is a constructive frame. It treats Americans as neighbours to persuade, not enemies to insult, while still making the case that tariffs hurt real workers on both sides of the border.

The public numbers show why the relationship deserves serious attention. The Library of Parliament’s Canada–United States trade profile says the United States was Canada’s largest merchandise and services trade partner in 2024. It reported $973.8 billion in bilateral merchandise trade that year, plus $249.2 billion in bilateral services trade. Those are not abstract Ottawa figures. They are paycheques, contracts, freight routes, parts orders, energy shipments, software exports, tourism spending and small-business customers in every province.

At the same time, official trade data show why Conservatives keep returning to the themes of leverage, productivity and domestic strength. Global Affairs Canada’s 2026 State of Trade report says Canada’s exports to the United States fell 3.7 per cent in 2025, while exports to non-U.S. markets rose 11.1 per cent. The report also says exports support nearly one in five Canadian jobs and that trade in goods and services represents roughly two-thirds of Canada’s GDP. In plain English: Canada needs the American market, but it also needs the confidence, infrastructure and approvals to sell more to the world.

The CUSMA review is the practical deadline voters should watch. Global Affairs Canada describes CUSMA as the cornerstone of North American trade and says the first joint review was required on July 1, 2026, the sixth anniversary of the agreement’s entry into force. The government page also says the review is not an expiry date; it is a scheduled check-in to review how the agreement works and whether changes are needed. That means voters should expect serious preparation, not panic, slogans or secrecy.

The Conservative Party’s own letter, titled “Canadians Need a Good Deal,” is best read as a party-position source. It calls for zero tariffs or duties on softwood lumber, an end to sectoral tariffs on steel and aluminum, a tariff-free auto-pact-style approach, and exemptions from Buy America rules on infrastructure projects. It also argues that Canada should strengthen its hand by unblocking resources and using secure access to strategic energy and minerals as leverage for free and fair trade. Those are proposals, not neutral findings, but they are concrete enough for voters to test.

Here is the voter checklist. First, what exact tariff, duty or procurement barrier is each party trying to remove? Second, which workers and regions would benefit first: forestry, steel, aluminum, autos, agriculture, energy, critical minerals, services or small manufacturers? Third, what concessions, if any, would Canada give, and would Parliament see the text before major commitments are locked in? Fourth, how will Canada build leverage at home through ports, pipelines, mines, power, housing, defence procurement, border capacity and faster project approvals? Fifth, what public scorecard will show whether exports, investment and jobs improved after the next round of negotiations?

This is where a positive Conservative message can be both pro-Canada and pro-trade. The country does not become stronger by hoping Washington is generous. It becomes stronger by building, approving, producing and negotiating from a position of competence. It also does not become stronger by treating every trade disagreement as a reason to turn inward. The better answer is a confident North America: two sovereign countries, friendly peoples, fair rules, open markets where possible, and a Canada strong enough at home to insist on respect abroad.

The bottom line for Conservative voters is simple. Support leaders who defend Canadian workers without burning useful bridges. Ask for the numbers behind every trade promise. Treat YouTube commentary and partisan clips as leads, not proof. Read the official CUSMA review page, the Library of Parliament trade profile, Global Affairs’ trade report and the Conservative Party’s good-deal letter. Then ask candidates for a measurable plan: fewer tariffs, stronger exports, faster Canadian projects, better jobs and public accountability before the next deal is signed.

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