Members of the Federation of Quebec Chambers of Commerce (FCCQ) are in Washington for the week and say the trade war with Canada is not top of mind there.
FCCQ President Véronique Proulx has been meeting with U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Commerce, trade representatives, the Canadian Embassy, various companies, and members of Congress and the Senate to find ways to work together.
She has also been participating in the SAFE Summit.
“In Quebec and in Canada, all we talk about is the trade war. When you’re in Washington, it’s really not a number one topic or subject,” Proulx told CTV News.
She said President Donald Trump has thrown the country into “chaos” with deregulations, presidential decrees, new bills, shutting organizations down and reducing funding.
Just Tuesday, up to 10,000 employees were dismissed from U.S. health agencies responsible for research, tracking disease and regulating food and the Trump administration announced more cuts to university funding, this time at Princeton.
Trump is set to announce another round of reciprocal tariffs Wednesday, which he said will amount to a “Liberation Day” for the United States.
Proulx believes Trump’s volatility — announcing tariffs only to roll them back or change them within days — has left American stakeholders feeling detached.
“U.S. companies and U.S. owners are getting used to this chaos ... and just waiting and not knowing what to expect. So to a certain extent, yes, they are becoming kind of blasé with the whole situation. But it is affecting their economy.”
The FCCQ’s goal is to use the “America first” mindset and hammer down the possible impacts of the trade war on U.S. companies, workers and residents.
“My understanding through the meetings that we’ve had is that until it affects the U.S. economy, until it really hurts American workers, it will be very difficult to bring the Trump administration to move sideways,” said Proulx.
The FCCQ represents the interests of over 40,000 businesses in Quebec.
On the bright side, she said, the U.S. seems poised to revise the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (CUSMA), and the FCCQ wants the next Canadian government to be prepared to negotiate.
“This means that we’re sitting down at a table. It’s government officials that are working together in a structured environment,” said Proulx.
“It’s not only having announcements or tweets on tweets on what will be announced. It will give us more certainty, more previsibility, and that’s something that we’re looking forward to.”
