Canada names new ambassador to US as key trade talks loom

Terms of North American free trade deal set to be renegotiated in 2026 under shadow of US tariff policies.

Canada has named former BlackRock executive Mark Wiseman as the new ambassador to the United States, with upcoming trade and tariff negotiations likely to dominate his tenure.

In a statement on Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Wiseman would help manage Canada’s relationship with the US, which has grown stormy under tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

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“Mr Wiseman will be a key contributor to the government’s efforts to advance Canada-US priorities, including secure borders [and] a strengthened trade and investment relationship,” Carney said in a statement.

Relations between the countries have somewhat settled after the US launched a trade war targeting Canadian goods, prompting anger at what was widely viewed as an act of economic hostility against a longtime ally.

The Trump administration has targeted Canada with several rounds of tariffs, including a blanket 25 percent tariff for allegedly failing to stem migration and fentanyl flows from Canada.

That came despite data showing only a tiny fraction of fentanyl smuggled into the US crosses the US-Canada border.

The US subsequently imposed sweeping tariffs on automobiles, steel and aluminium imports, all of which disproportionately affected Canada.

In August, Trump and Carney, who was elected on a promise to take a tough stance in the face of US threats, reached agreements to roll back some of the measures. A more comprehensive deal has remained elusive.

Trump has also stirred anger by repeatedly saying that Canada should become the 51st US state, which Carney has firmly rejected.

Those tensions could re-emerge in the coming months as officials set out to renegotiate the terms of the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement, also known as the USMCA.

Canadian officials are set to begin discussions with US counterparts in mid-January on the USMCA, which currently exempts many key products that would otherwise be tariffed under Trump’s policies.

Canada is the top export destination for 36 US states, with nearly $2.7bn worth of goods and services crossing the border each day.

Carney has hedged his expectations for the future of trade relations with the US, saying that Canada will defend its economic interests but that US policy is beyond its control.