Foreign Affairs Committee on April 23rd, 2026

[Mark Wiseman]

Our relationship with the United States is not over. We are adjacent to the United States. We are adjacent to the largest market in the world. That is a huge benefit for Canada and one that we have to nurture. However, it is clear that our relationship with the United States has changed under this administration due to the imposition of tariffs by the United States and a change in posture to an America-first posture by the United States.

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Middlesex—London, ON]

Ambassador, are you aware that those quotes are directly from Prime Minister Mark Carney? He seems to be taking an obstructionist approach to our largest trading partner. Recently, media revealed that the Prime Minister explicitly told staff of the former Quebec premier that being slow was part of Ottawa's strategy.

Can this be interpreted as a show of bad faith in Washington? Is it, in your opinion, a deliberate attempt to stall negotiations of CUSMA?

[Mark Wiseman]

It's not for me to interpret the words of the Prime Minister, but I can tell you that we are ready, willing and able—

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Middlesex—London, ON]

Ambassador, you could speak to the effect it would have, because in your role as ambassador, that would affect your job.

[Mark Wiseman]

I'm sorry. Can you repeat the question?

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Middlesex—London, ON]

The words that the Prime Minister used directly affect the role that you have in your job as ambassador. Do you believe that this is a deliberate attempt to stall negotiations of CUSMA?

[Mark Wiseman]

Canada is ready, willing and able, as is our chief negotiator, as is Minister LeBlanc and as am I, in a supporting role, to commence the formal review process of CUSMA. We are in regular discussions with the United States as it relates to the section 232 tariffs.

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Middlesex—London, ON]

Ambassador Hoekstra has said of CUSMA, “It's not an intense negotiation. There really have been no serious negotiations since October of last year”.

Behind the scenes, U.S. officials are increasingly frustrated, saying that Canada “hasn't played ball”, that the government has decided to run out the clock and that they “see right through the strategy”.

Is the lack of progress being made on order of the PMO?

[Mark Wiseman]

Under the CUSMA, there is a mandatory review that takes place under the four corners of the agreement at year six. It is a 16-year agreement. The CUSMA comes to an end in 2036.

The Government of Canada is ready to commence the formal review process with the United States and with Mexico. We are ready and prepared to do that review process—not a renegotiation. It is a review under the terms of the agreement. We are also—

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Middlesex—London, ON]

Thank you.

Janice Charette, the top negotiator on CUSMA, said that she thought the government should get prior credit for concessions made 10 months ago on the digital services tax, countertariffs and legal challenges on softwood lumber. To her amazement, the President “pocketed” those promises and moved on. Meanwhile 2.6 million Canadians, including many businesses in southwestern Ontario and my riding of Middlesex—London, who depend on trade with the U.S. for their work, are very deeply worried.

Has the Prime Minister revealed to you why he made this strategic error of dragging this out, instead of using the leverage we had at the beginning of the talks to get the tariffs removed?

[Mark Wiseman]

Any specific conversations I may have had with the Prime Minister around trade strategy or otherwise as advice are privileged, and I'm not in a position to comment.

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Middlesex—London, ON]

The Prime Minister said that Janice Charette is the chief trade negotiator and not you. Could you tell us what role you play in the negotiations? Can you detail the number of meetings and the substantive actions that have been taken by Canada to secure a deal thus far?

[Mark Wiseman]

My role is to support the chief negotiator, Minister LeBlanc and the Government of Canada writ large and to build relationships by being resident in Washington day in and day out. It's to support those relationships with American legislators, business leaders and labour leaders in support of our chief negotiator. This team structure has proven to be very effective.

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Middlesex—London, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you very much.

We go next to MP Charles Sousa.

You have five minutes.

[Charles Sousa, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Ambassador, for being here and for your service, yet again, to Canada in a different capacity.

You certainly have a strong rapport and tremendous experience in the United States with some of the work that you've done in the past. Now that you're in this role, and given that you have tremendous experience making deals—in relative terms—in other aspects of business, as well as pension reforms and so forth, how do you see the common ground that Canada has with the United States? How do you see those priorities we share and that we can build upon?

[Mark Wiseman]

Thank you.

There is a lot of common ground between Canada and the United States. It's easy to forget that when we're having tough discussions, or when those discussions are political in nature. As I said in my opening remarks, the amount of trade that travels across our shared border is the greatest between any two countries in the world. We are the number one export market for close to 30 U.S. states. We are the top three export market for almost every state in the United States of America. There are approximately one and a half million Canadians in the United States on any given day. Our Canadian tourists help to support the U.S. economy, from east to west and north to south.

Our two countries work together incredibly well. It's very easy to forget that. We have much more in common than what separates us. We have many more common interests than what separates us. I'm quite optimistic about our relationship with the United States. Neither of us is moving out of the neighbourhood. While we have to, as the Prime Minister has said, diversify Canadian interests so that we are less dependent on the United States, having the United States next door is a huge advantage for Canada in many respects.

I would say, we still have—although we're not happy about the 232 tariffs—the lowest tariff burden of any other country in the world as it relates to the United States. We have many more things in common than differences. In my career, my job has been to find common ground and build bridges. I'm confident that with our neighbour to the south, who has been our neighbour since the beginning and will be our neighbour forever, we will also work out our issues.

[Charles Sousa, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

I've seen first-hand your ability to deal and co-operate with corporate Canada. I witnessed that with what you've been doing in Washington with corporate America. Your recent visit to the White House when you got your credentials was also very interesting.

I wonder how you are managing all of these interests. Sometimes what corporate America is saying isn't necessarily what is being said by the White House. I'm wondering about these shifting political dynamics and the timelines. How are you managing that?

[Mark Wiseman]

I have a fantastic team, including here in Ottawa with Assistant Deputy Linder. They are supporting me, and frankly training and helping me along in my role.

We have a tremendous team with the embassy in Washington, our 12 consulates, plus three additional trade missions in the United States. They are working day in and day out to advance our interests in the United States. That's not to mention the team we have supporting us in Global Affairs Canada.

I feel very fortunate. I don't feel this is a job—nor could it ever possibly be a job—that one person could do. It is very much a team effort. We need to be coordinated across the United States. My role is in the United States. We need to be coordinated with our message to Americans. We have to collect information from all Canadians and be able to translate that to influential Americans in business, government, labour and other interest groups.

We are doing that, and we're going to double down on those efforts.

[The Chair, Liberal, Ahmed Hussen]

Thank you very much.

We'll go next to MP Adam Chambers.

You have five minutes.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Welcome, Mr. Wiseman. Congratulations on your appointment. I suspect you might be wishing you'd booked a dentist appointment at this time, but we appreciate your presence here today.

Are you familiar with Robert Lighthizer's book?

[Mark Wiseman]

Yes, I am.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Okay, so you would be aware that, in the book, Mr. Lighthizer uses an anecdote about how, during the 2019 negotiations, the U.S. and Mexico were hunkered down for weeks, making a deal and negotiating, while Canada was conspicuously absent. Do you recall this anecdote from his book?

[Mark Wiseman]

Yes, I do.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Based on your observations so far in your role, and given that Mexico is having ongoing formal and active discussions, do you believe that we are going down a similar path?