Tory MP Jivani in Washington Again to Meet US Trade Rep

Jamil Jivani, Conservative MP for Bowmanville-Oshawa North, is photographed in his constituency office in Bowmanville, on May 31, 2025. The Canadian Press/Chris Young

Conservative MP Jamil Jivani returned to Washington on April 29 to meet with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Canadian business stakeholders.

The Canadian Embassy said it will have a representative at the meeting, which comes ahead of the July 1 review of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) on free trade.

While Greer met with Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum in recent days, his last meeting with a federal cabinet minister was in early March.

During Greer’s meeting with Sheinbaum in Mexico last week, the two agreed to begin formal bilateral talks on CUSMA in late May. No similar development has been announced between Canada and the United States.

Jivani’s return to Washington comes after the Tory MP travelled to the U.S. capital in February and met with his longtime friend, U.S. Vice-President JD Vance. He also met with U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Greer, and senators from several states that border Canada.

Jivani said his February trip was meant to help with negotiations on U.S. trade and CUSMA, noting that trade with the United States and the free trade agreement are “so important to the Canadian economy and to our future as an independent, self-reliant nation.”

Following the trip, Jivani said he hoped his discussions with U.S. officials could lead to further collaboration between the governing Liberals and the Conservative Party on trade negotiations with the United States.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said shortly after the trip, in an interview with retired Canadian news anchor Peter Mansbridge, that he had authorized his entire caucus to engage with U.S. counterparts to support tariff-free access to the United States and help rebuild relations between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney downplayed the significance of Jivani’s February trip, saying the MP was briefed by Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and is not the Conservative Party’s trade critic, “nor the prime minister.”

The Epoch Times reached out to Jivani for comment on his latest trip, but didn’t immediately hear back.

‘Keep Fighting’

Asked by reporters for details on Jivani’s current trip to Washington and the goal of Conservative MPs travelling to the U.S., Poilievre said he didn’t have any information on the trip, but noted his MPs have been going to Washington to “fight for tariff-free trade.”

“The point is to fight for the auto workers, steel workers, aluminum workers, forestry workers, who Mark Carney abandoned after he promised he’d have a deal by July 21,” he said. “We’re going to keep fighting for jobs.”

When asked whether the federal government should be using Jivani’s close relationship with Vance as a way to secure a deal with the United States, Poilievre said the government “should use every relationship we have as Canadians,” noting the Tories have proposed a “Team Canada approach.”

“I know all of our MPs are willing to do anything they can to help, because we have to put our country first, our workers first, our economy first, and that means putting party labels aside and serving the country’s interest,” he added.

Poilievre travelled to the United States himself in March to discuss trade and advocate for Canada’s automotive and energy sectors, but he did not travel to Washington to meet with White House officials during the trip.

Carney said in an interview with CBC News this week that Canada needs a “good deal” with the United States on tariffs and will not pursue a “small” agreement if it disadvantages Canadians. While he suggested a favourable tariff deal could be achieved in the near term, he said further progress is needed from the U.S. side.

Canada and the United States were making progress toward a deal on steel, aluminum, and energy last October, but Trump cancelled trade talks after the Ontario government ran an anti-tariff TV ad campaign in the United States.

Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Rick Switzer said last week that Mark Carney’s current strategy—one he described as antagonizing Donald Trump—is affecting negotiations over the CUSMA review. Greer also recently criticized Canada, saying the Canadian and U.S. economic models “don’t fit together very well.” He cited Ottawa’s pursuit of greater “globalization,” while saying Washington seeks to “correct for the problems of globalization.”

Carney released a video last week explaining his approach to trade, in which he said Canada’s close ties to the United States have become “weaknesses.” The prime minister has pledged to double non-U.S. exports in the next decade amid increased U.S. protectionism.

Noé Chartier, The Canadian Press, and William Hetherington contributed to this report.