TORONTO – Former prime minister Stephen Harper says the federal government had “no choice” but to walk away from trade talks with the United States.
While delivering closing remarks at Canada’s first-ever national investment summit today, Harper said the move was “sad” but necessary and that Canada needs to reduce its reliance on the United States.
A last-ditch effort to reach a new trade deal with the United States collapsed in August and Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended talks and summoned his negotiators back to Ottawa.
That decision led to new 50 per cent U.S. tariffs on billions of dollars in Canadian exports and Ottawa has replied with retaliatory tariffs on American products.
Hundreds of executives and global asset managers were in Toronto for the summit, part of the Carney government’s effort to hit an ambitious goal of attracting $1 trillion in new investment over the next five years.
Harper says Canada can’t let U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration hollow out its industrial capacity.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2026.
– With files from Catherine Morrison in Ottawa
