Overview
- At a Senate Appropriations hearing Wednesday, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said Canadian visits to New Hampshire fell about 30% last year because of hostile talk from the administration.
- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended his stance and said Canada's economy leans on the $30 trillion U.S. market while calling it outrageous that provinces are not stocking U.S. spirits and faulting Canada's dairy system.
- The exchange followed Lutnick's remarks at a Semafor event Friday where he described Canada's trade approach with the phrase "They suck."
- Lutnick was on Capitol Hill to present the administration's 2027 budget request, and he argued that sharp criticism is warranted over market access for U.S. alcohol and dairy.
- The clash arrives as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement faces a mandatory review in July, and New Hampshire businesses that depend on Canadian travelers report thinner sales in a tourism sector that supports about 70,000 jobs.