“Who do I call if I want to speak to Europe?”
That famous line is often attributed to former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, a jab at Europe’s inability to speak with one voice on geopolitical issues. While the Financial Times insists he never actually said it, the phrase has taken on a life of its own – passed down through foreign policy undergrad courses and diplomatic circles as shorthand for disjointed leadership.
These days, as Trump’s tariff threats put Canada on high alert, a similar question arises: “Who do I call if I want to talk to Canada?”
In normal times, the answer is easy. Not so easy these days. Yes, Canada has a prime minister, but Justin Trudeau is set to leave office in a few weeks, making way for a new Liberal leader – one who may be heading straight into an election that could bring yet another prime minister (I’ll leave the polling predictions to others).
This leadership instability couldn’t come at a worse time. Canada faces what looks to be a prolonged battle over tariffs. Provinces, sensing Ottawa’s weakness, are stepping up on their own. From Daniel Smith defending Alberta’s resources to Doug Ford calling an election to “protect Ontario” from economic harm, Canada has no single voice on trade. Instead, it has a political patchwork of competing messages.
For business and labour leaders trying to make sense of Trump’s latest statement – or those of his cabinet and surrogates - this is a serious problem.
Enter the Canada-U.S. Trade Council (CUSTC).
A new voluntary initiative, the CUSTC, brings together major industry and labour groups to ensure Canada’s private sector has a unifying platform to discuss and share information on this current tariff threat and wider issues related to Canadian trade. Participants include leaders from steel, aluminum, construction, forest products, oil and gas, agri-food, dairy, chemistry, banking, as well as broader industry groups such as the Business Council of Canada, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Construction Association of Canada and the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters.
Labour leaders such as Unifor, United Steelworkers and Canada’s Building Trades Unions have also joined forces with corporate heavyweights like Rio Tinto, Maple Leaf Foods and TC Energy to give Canadian policymakers a single, go-to point of contact when industry and labour perspectives are needed.
Government officials – federal and provincial – will be invited to participate in regular discussions, ensuring that trade decisions are informed by both business and labour perspectives. Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman, joined the CUSTC’s kickoff meeting, emphasizing the stakes:
“With $1.3 trillion in goods and services crossing our shared border every year, Canada is America’s biggest customer. Trade with Canada plays an important role in U.S. economic security and supports millions of American jobs. Business and labour leadership are essential as we work to find ways to strengthen our strategic partnership with the US and I look forward to working alongside the Canada-U.S. Trade Council at this important time”
Organizations interested in joining the Council are encouraged to contact Bruce Anderson, Partner at Spark Advocacy, or Adam Taylor, Partner at NorthStar Public Affairs, which are jointly providing secretariat services to the CUSTC.
Read more about the Canada-U.S. Trade Council below.