The United States ambassador to Canada says Canadians avoiding U.S. travel and banning American alcohol are among the reasons Donald Trump thinks they are “nasty” to deal with.
Pete Hoekstra told a conference audience on Monday that such steps “don’t send positive signals” about Canada treating the U.S. well.
Hoekstra was speaking at the annual Pacific NorthWest Economic Region Foundation summit in Bellevue, Washington.
The Canadian Press was provided with a recording of the ambassador’s comments by the office of B.C. Premier David Eby, which said it received the audio from someone who was in the audience.
Eby says in a statement that Hoekstra’s remarks show Canadians’ efforts to stand up to Trump are “having an impact,” and he encouraged people to “keep it up.”
A representative of Hoekstra’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The ambassador made the remarks in answer to a question from a conference moderator about what could be done to get people travelling again as Vancouver and Seattle prepare to host games as part of next year’s FIFA World Cup.
“Canadians staying home, that’s their business, you know. I don’t like it, but if that’s what they want to do, it’s fine. They want to ban American alcohol. That’s fine,” he says.
“There are reasons why the president and some of his team referred to Canada as being mean and nasty to deal with, OK, because of some of those steps.”
Hoekstra adds that he “can get alcohol across the border if (he) wanted to.”
“We go back and forth to Michigan and they don’t check my car when I come back,” he said, drawing laughs from the crowd.
Eby’s statement in response to Hoekstra’s remarks says people should keep buying Canadian products and keep their vacations Canadian.
“We won’t take these attacks on our jobs, our economy and our sovereignty, lying down. We’ll stand strong together,” the premier says in the emailed statement.
B.C. is among the provinces that banned the sale of U.S. alcohol from government-run stores after Trump slapped steep tariffs on goods from Canada, a move that has prompted some Canadians to cancel their cross-border trips.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2025.
