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

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick speaks before President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

OTTAWA — U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick attacked Canada’s trade strategy today, 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.

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.

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.

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

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press

With files from Kelly Geraldine Malone