Canada has ‘the worst strategy’ when it comes to trade: Howard Lutnick

The Canadian flag and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are shown in this combination photo. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon/THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick attacked Canada’s trade strategy on Friday, adding, “They suck.”

Lutnick was responding to a report in the Financial Post quoting Canada’s former chief trade negotiator Steve Verheul saying time is on Canada’s side in trade talks because the pressures on the U.S. will only increase.

During a discussion with Semafor World Economy in Washington, D.C., Lutnick said that is “the worst strategy” and the U.S. is “the consumer of the world.”

He went on to claim that Prime Minister Mark Carney “has a problem” with the U.S. and criticized his recent outreach to China.

“He gets on a plane and he goes to China. Does he think China, the Chinese economy is going to buy his stuff? China is entirely an export-driven economy,” he said. “He came back and said, oh, we’ll take their electric cars. I mean, is this nuts?”

United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said earlier this month that he doesn’t expect negotiations on the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade to be resolved by July 1.

That is the deadline for the United States to notify Canada and Mexico about its plans for the trilateral trade pact, known as CUSMA.

Speaking to the House of Commons international trade committee Thursday, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the Canadian government is prepared to quickly sign a deal that’s in the interest of the Canadian economy.

“It is moving forward,” he said in French. “We’re not just in contact with the Americans. Things are also moving forward with our counterparts in Mexico.

“I believe that we have a lot of things that the American economy needs. That’s why I remain optimistic that we will get there.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 17, 2026.

With files from Kelly Geraldine Malone