US Ambassador Says Ontario’s Anti-US Tariff Ad Was Unprecedented, Restarting Trade Talks Won’t Be Easy

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra poses for a portrait at the U.S. Embassy, in Ottawa on June 6, 2025. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra said restarting trade talks with Canada will not be easy after they were cancelled by Washington following the airing of Ontario’s anti-tariff ad down south.

Hoekstra said the move by Ontario Premier Doug Ford appeared to be without precedent and that anyone should “seriously consider” before adopting such a strategy to reach political objectives in the United States.