Joly says Canada is putting ‘maximum pressure’ on the U.S. to lift tariffs

OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Canada will exert “maximum pressure” to get the United States to lift its tariffs and warns that the duties ultimately will hurt Americans.

Joly spoke to media this morning after meeting with her counterparts from the U.S., Europe and Japan.

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She has been hosting the Group of Seven foreign ministers’ meeting in the Charlevoix region, northeast of Quebec City.

Joly says that during a “long conversation” on tariffs and trade with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday, she told Rubio that Canada’s sovereignty is not up for debate.

She says she told Rubio that it’s important to organize a call between U.S. President Donald Trump and incoming prime minister Mark Carney.

Canadian officials said Thursday that their meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was constructive and addressed the ongoing trade war launched by Trump last month — but they expected no immediate changes to the Trump administration’s punishing tariffs.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 14, 2025.

The Canadian Press