OTTAWA — US lawmakers from both parties are pushing back against President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada, with one Republican senator warning Ottawa’s growing relationship with Europe could make it harder to repair ties with Washington.Republican Maine Senator Susan Collins and Democratic Delaware Senator Chris Coons spoke with CBC News Washington correspondent Katie Simpson as frustration with the Canada-U.S. trade dispute grows on Capitol Hill.Collins, whose state shares a border and extensive trade ties with Canada, said she does not support a trade war between the two countries and wants negotiations to resume.But she also warned Prime Minister Mark Carney that Canada’s accelerating pivot toward the European Union could complicate efforts to reach an agreement with the Trump administration, according to CBC. Her comments came Wednesday as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen publicly opened the door to making Canada the EU’s first “associate member.”Canada and Europe have also discussed closer ties involving defence, energy, critical minerals and labour mobility..Collins has previously pressed the Trump administration to ease tariffs affecting Maine, where Canada accounts for roughly two-thirds of imports and about 40% of exports, CBC reported.Last week, the administration removed Canadian road salt and cement from its latest tariff list. Collins had specifically warned the White House about the additional cost tariffs on road salt would impose on Maine communities.Republican Louisiana Senator John Kennedy also told CBC he opposes a trade war with Canada, saying it is not in the United States’ interests. The opposition is not limited to Republicans from states bordering Canada.Coons told CBC that Democratic gains in November’s midterm elections would not necessarily produce an immediate change in Trump’s trade policy.He is instead working to organize a bipartisan delegation of US lawmakers to visit Canada, according to Simpson’s reporting.Coons was among five Democratic senators who criticized Trump’s latest escalation last week, arguing tariffs were increasing costs for American families and pushing allies to diversify their trade away from the United States. The congressional pushback comes days after Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre travelled to New York to make his own case for restoring tariff-free Canada-US trade.As previously reported by the Western Standard, Poilievre told CNBC that Canada should continue diversifying its overseas trade regardless of what Washington does, while arguing the two countries should return to tariff-free trade.Carney has also said Canada remains prepared to restart negotiations.“We’re ready to sit down and negotiate that and move it forward,” Carney told Bloomberg on Monday.“There’s not a pride thing from our perspective.”Canada’s push toward Europe accelerated Wednesday when von der Leyen told Carney she wanted to “open the door” to Canada becoming the EU’s first associate member.No formal associate membership category currently exists, and the details of such an arrangement have yet to be negotiated.
