Why Gov. Josh Shapiro pledged his support for Canada ahead of Trump’s tariff talks

QUEBEC CITY — On the eve of renewed trade and tariff talks between the United States and Canada, Gov. Josh Shapiro on Monday stood on a stage in the historic Fairmont Le Château Frontenac on Quebec’s waterfront before a group of American and Canadian leaders, emphasizing his support for Pennsylvania’s northern neighbor — the state’s top international export market.

“I hope the president of the United States has reevaluated his tough-guy approach to Canada, and remembers our shared history over the last two centuries,” Shapiro said at the conclusion of his first international trip as governor of Pennsylvania.

Before a conference of American governors and Canadian dignitaries, Shapiro blasted President Donald Trump’s “reckless, disrespectful rhetoric” toward the critical U.S. ally and pledged his respect for Canada.

The remarks came during the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers conference in Quebec City, a biennial gathering for officials representing the Great Lakes along the U.S.-Canada border. Shapiro on Monday was also named the chair of the conference, becoming the first Pennsylvania governor to lead the regional conference of eight states and two Canadian provinces since former Gov. Tom Ridge.

Shapiro, a first-term Democratic governor and rumored 2028 presidential candidate, appeared in stark contrast on the international stage to Trump, who has projected an adversarial attitude in recent months toward one of America’s strongest allies. Since February, the Trump administration has slapped tariffs on the top trade partner to encourage Americans to buy and produce more U.S.-made products.

Trump has repeatedly said he wants to annex Canada to become the “51st state,” frequently taunting former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by calling him “Governor Trudeau.” He has claimed that Canada benefits from its relationship with the U.S., with little in return.

» READ MORE: Motorcycles, coffee, chocolate: The Pa. products caught in Trump’s trade war with Canada

As part of Trump’s efforts to encourage more U.S. production, his administration has implemented a 50% tariff on aluminum and steel imports, 50% tariff on all automobiles not built in the U.S., a 50% tariff on copper, and additional tariffs to go into effect later this month on lumber and lumber products. Canada enacted some counter-tariffs, but reversed some in the last two months to try to ease trade tensions. Canada lost more than 40,000 jobs in July, largely due to the trade war, Reuters reported.

“We don’t need anything from Canada,” Trump said during an interview with Time magazine about his first 100 days in office. “I say the only way this thing really works is for Canada to become a state.”

Trump is set to reconvene trade and tariff talks with Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. On Monday, the premiers of the Ontario and Quebec provinces said they were cautiously optimistic about the talks.

“[Trump] is always surprising everybody,” said Premier François Legault, who leads the French-speaking Quebec province. “We hope it’s a good surprise, but I don’t want to raise the expectation too high. We really need to have more certainty about the future.”

Pennsylvania businesses have already been feeling the effects of tariffs, Shapiro said.

Canada is the top international export market for Pennsylvania. Canada imports $14 billion from Pennsylvania each year, more than any other country, with 27% of the state’s export market relying on America’s northern neighbor, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, a Trump-appointed agency that oversees international trade.

Pennsylvania also imports $14 billion worth of Canadian products each year, with approximately $1.2 billion in steel and aluminum imported to the state annually. The newly implemented tariffs on Canadian goods have caused costs to rise across the state, including for companies that do not use any Canadian products due to the increased demand, Shapiro said.

“You need stability and you need clear forecasts, and the president’s tariff policies provide neither. And that is what is harming businesses in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said in an interview Monday.

In his remarks to the Great Lakes leaders, Shapiro also encouraged Canadians to visit Pennsylvania, which is among the top international tourist destinations each year. Canadian tourists have steeply declined since Trump returned to office earlier this year, with a nearly 18% reduction in tourists to Philadelphia, according to an analysis by The Inquirer.

» READ MORE: Canadians are staying away from Philly amid Trump trade war

“I know for many Canadians, the United States doesn’t feel like a place that will welcome them right now,” Shapiro said in his speech Sunday, offering an antithesis to Trump’s rhetoric toward the country. “No matter what happens at the federal level, Pennsylvania will always welcome Canadians. I want you to come and visit.”

Shapiro arrived in Quebec on Sunday afternoon to deliver his defiant remarks in support of Canada before the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers. He returned to Harrisburg on Monday afternoon, and was scheduled to appear in Hershey at the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce dinner Monday night.

Shapiro said he still decided to attend the international trip during the state’s prolonged budget impasse — now in its fourth month — because he doesn’t “have the luxury of just not coming to work the way the state Senate has,” a jab at state Senate Republicans, whom Shapiro and other Democrats have accused of holding up budget talks. Shapiro added that the meetings he had while on the brief trip north will benefit Pennsylvania’s economy.

The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers is a regional conference to promote the region’s tourism, coordinate economic development, and protect the water in the Great Lakes — making up 20% of the world’s surface fresh water. Lake Erie, the smallest of the five Great Lakes and the only one to abut Pennsylvania, generates $1.2 billion annually in visitor spending for Erie, the state’s fifth-largest city, according to the tourism marketing organization VisitErie.

Pennsylvania will host the next Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers conference in Erie in 2027.

Shapiro was joined at the conference by other Democratic governors from the region, including Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Tony Evers of Wisconsin, and Kathy Hochul of New York.

Shapiro said in an interview Monday that his administration initially built relationships with leaders from Canada and its provinces through the state’s Department of Community and Economic development. Last year, Shapiro also met with Trudeau in Philadelphia.

But once Trump began implementing tariffs on Canada, Shapiro said he wanted to get involved directly and form connections with Canadian leaders because of Pennsylvania’s strong trading relationship with the country. Shapiro said he’s spoken to the leaders by phone and Zoom since then, before meeting in-person during his visit to Quebec.

Shapiro’s first international trip — lasting less than 24 hours — was fruitful, he said. While meeting in private with premiers from Canada, Shapiro invited them to visit Pennsylvania in the near future. He also met in private with chief executives of Canadian rail and bus companies, including about procurement of additional railcars for SEPTA now that the National Transportation Safety Board urged the beleaguered transit agency to pull its Silverliner IV cars out of service after a series of fires.

He said he views his role as clarifying that Pennsylvania is still “open for business” despite Trump’s threats — and to speak out against the president’s negative comments about Canada.

“President Trump’s view of the [U.S.-Canada] relationship is his view. He’s entitled to it,” Shapiro added. “But as the leader of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I don’t view it that way, and I want Canadians to know that.”

Shapiro also condemned Trump’s past comments about annexing Canada as deeply offensive and highlighted the two nations’ collaboration over the last two centuries.

“My fellow governors and I respect Canada’s sovereignty. We respect Canada’s history, and we respect its people,” he added.