Fmr Biden ambassador blames Trump for Canada playing 'footsie' with China

Former U.S. Ambassador David Cohen Blames Trump‑Era Trade Pressure for Canada’s Tilt Toward China

Washington, D.C. – In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, former U.S. Ambassador to Canada David L. Cohen said the hard‑line trade tactics of the Trump administration pushed Canada to look toward China for new commercial opportunities. Cohen, who served as the Biden‑era envoy to Ottawa from 2021 to 2025, argued that Canada’s willingness to engage with Beijing was a reaction to American demands that the country become “more reliant on them, not less.”

“I think Canada has tentatively tried to play some footsie with China that the Trump administration may not be happy with,” Cohen said. “There is a discomfort with that.” He added that the “downside of the aggressive Trump administration treatment of Canada…is that those policies are pushing those countries to at least consider broader and larger deals with China,” which he said was inconsistent with Trump’s overall trade strategy.

Cohen’s comments come as U.S.–Canada trade tensions have intensified after negotiations on a comprehensive trade deal collapsed last month. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney accused Washington of seeking dependence rather than partnership, saying, “The most fundamental issue is that the cumulative U.S. demands revealed that they wanted us to become even more reliant on them, not less.” Carney’s remarks came as Canadian officials were working to bring a near‑finalized agreement to the provinces, where political dynamics were proving more complex than at the federal level.

The Trade Breakdown

The talks that collapsed involved a host of contentious issues, most notably Canada’s tariff‑rate quota system for dairy, which has long been a source of friction for American farmers. Cohen acknowledged, “There is contention…that is hurting American dairy farmers…That tension existed under Joe Biden. Was he able to solve that problem? No.” He pointed out that the dispute had been discussed repeatedly, but no resolution was reached.

Cohen also referenced the broader trade framework. He praised former President Trump for negotiating the United States‑Mexico‑Canada Agreement (USMCA), calling it “a terrific deal” that improved continental trade. “I gave President Trump a lot of credit for that because it was a much better deal than NAFTA,” he said. He expressed some disagreement with Trump’s rhetoric, however, noting that “the style that President Trump sometimes uses is a different approach than the substance.”

Professional Negotiators vs. Political Figures

The former ambassador singled out U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, describing him as “the ultimate professional trade negotiator.” Cohen argued that Greer’s expertise was essential to advancing talks, whereas Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who was present during the final day of negotiations, was “not a professional negotiator” and, therefore, “not the right person for that job.” Lutnick has suggested that Canadian politics, rather than trade policy itself, played a role in the failure to reach an agreement.

Cohen also criticized the role of Canadian officials. He said that Prime Minister Carney’s decision to bring a nearly complete deal to the provinces “did not go over well,” noting that provincial premiers hold significant sway in federal policy, especially in a context where many Canadians are disenchanted with the Trump administration.

Canadian Response to U.S. Pressures

Opposition to the U.S. trade stance was voiced by other U.S. officials as well. Vice President John D. “J.D.” Vance, speaking in Maine last month, called Canada’s treatment of Chinese goods “insanity.” “They treat Chinese goods more fairly than they do the goods that come from the people of Maine,” Vance said, accusing Canada of giving preferential treatment to Chinese products. His remarks came amid a broader debate over whether Canada should pursue new trade deals with China, especially as U.S. trade policy increasingly shifted toward a more protectionist posture.

The Broader Geopolitical Context

Cohen’s interview also touched on the impending visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House for trade talks—a meeting that never occurred during the Biden administration. The former ambassador suggested that the U.S. focus on a new trade relationship with China could be a response to the diplomatic pressure from Washington’s trade strategy. He noted that “many countries are at least reevaluating whether there are additional deals that can be made with China.”

Looking Forward

Despite the setback, Cohen maintained that professional negotiators can still find common ground. “You can’t make a deal if you’re not talking to each other,” he said. “Of that, I am 100% certain.” He emphasized that the two sides had previously maintained a civil relationship, and that future progress would depend on returning to that mode of negotiation.

The collapse of U.S.–Canada trade talks has left a significant void in the North American trading bloc. Both sides now face the challenge of reconciling their respective priorities—Canada’s desire for diversified trade partners and the U.S. insistence on reducing dependency on any single country—while addressing domestic political pressures. As trade talks resume, the United States and Canada will need to balance protectionist impulses with the realities of a globalized market that increasingly includes China as a key player.