{"text":[[{"start":9.95,"text":"Donald Trump’s ambassador to Canada has said he is “encouraged” by the change in tone from Mark Carney as Ottawa races to salvage its trading relationship with the US."}],[{"start":20,"text":"Pete Hoekstra told the FT he welcomed the prime minister’s efforts to make Canada integral to “fortress North America”, suggesting it was a welcome shift from the Liberal leader. "}],[{"start":30.5,"text":"The US had noticed the “pivot” from Carney’s more aggressive stance in response to Trump’s tariffs, Hoekstra said in an interview. "}],[{"start":38.9,"text":"“What I’m encouraged by is what we do see as a pivot,” he said. “Two weeks ago from the prime minister, three and a half months ago by [Conservative leader] Pierre Poilievre, and the last few days from [Ontario premier] Doug Ford, all talking about how important and beneficial this relationship is.”"}],[{"start":56.099999999999994,"text":"He added: “Let’s see if it’s a consistent point, if it’s a consistent message.”"}],[{"start":61.24999999999999,"text":"Hoekstra’s comments came as Ottawa tries to salvage the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the trading pact Trump agreed in 2020 but has threatened to rip up. The three countries face a July 1 deadline to renew the deal."}],[{"start":74.39999999999999,"text":"The US president on Wednesday said he may not renew the trilateral trade deal, setting the stage for years of protracted talks between Washington and its two most important trading partners."}],[{"start":85.19999999999999,"text":"“The president described where we are,” Hoekstra told the FT."}],[{"start":88.94999999999999,"text":"Trump has targeted Canada, which he says has abused its trading relationship — despite being the US’s biggest foreign energy supplier, major exporter of metals and other goods. The president has also mocked the US’s neighbour and claimed it should become a “51st state”, sparking outrage in Canada."}],[{"start":108.1,"text":"Ottawa is now promoting a “fortress North America” to win over Trump after previous criticisms of the US stemming from the president’s tariffs on crucial sectors such as cars, steel and aluminium. "}],[{"start":121.19999999999999,"text":"“Let’s be clear, ‘Canada Strong’ will help make America great again,” the prime minister told an audience in New York last month. The comments marked a change in tone from Carney, who won an election last year with a pledge to confront Trump, warning Canadians that their decades-old relationship with the US was “over”. "}],[{"start":138.14999999999998,"text":"Hoekstra told the US-Canada summit in Toronto on Thursday that Ottawa still needed a better sales pitch to convince Trump of Canada’s vital commodities including potash, oil and gas."}],[{"start":149.79999999999998,"text":"“You maybe don’t like the way the president says it, but . . . what he’s saying is we’re open to offers. Make your case,” he said. "}],[{"start":157.39999999999998,"text":"The envoy also warned Canada’s leaders to drop retaliation to Trump’s tariffs, such as boycotts of American goods. "}],[{"start":165.04999999999998,"text":"Hoekstra, who has been a divisive figure in Canada for amplifying Trump’s hostility to the nation, appeared to take aim at Ford, who has led efforts to punish American exporters with measures such as a widespread US booze ban. "}],[{"start":179.04999999999998,"text":"“I don’t think there are provisions in USMCA that call for the banning of products, the prohibition of American companies bidding on provincial contracts,” Hoekstra said. "}],[{"start":188.14999999999998,"text":"“You don’t see American governors or senators on TV saying, ‘don’t travel to Canada’, which you see in Canada,” he said."}],[{"start":196.49999999999997,"text":"The USMCA covers roughly C$1.3tn (US$933bn) in annual Canada-US trade in goods and services and protects a large swath of Canadian exports from Trump’s tariffs."}],[{"start":212.04999999999998,"text":"“You have the second-best trading deal in the world, right now,” Hoekstra said, adding that “85 per cent of the trade is tariff-free”."}],[{"start":220.99999999999997,"text":"Canada’s ambassador to the US, Mark Wiseman, also offered a conciliatory tone in his comments to the Toronto summit. Trump’s America-first agenda “doesn’t mean America alone”, he said."}],[{"start":233.14999999999998,"text":"“I think we need to continually remind Americans of the importance of Canada to the United States,” he said. “We’re not good at that always.”"}],[{"start":251.49999999999997,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1781234438_5209.mp3"}