Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
On this episode of Forum Dialogue, host Hal Roberts sits down with guest Gary Mar, President and CEO of the Canada West Foundation and former Alberta cabinet minister, to unpack the state of Canada–U.S. trade. From Donald Trump's negotiating tactics and the real leverage Canada holds, electricity, potash, softwood lumber and an integrated auto sector, to tariffs, USMCA/CUSMA, critical minerals and the growing trade relationship with China, Gary Mar makes the case for why Canada is an under-appreciated economic and agricultural superpower, and how building relationships with U.S. governors may matter more than deals struck in Washington.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro: Canada–U.S. trade tensions and welcoming Gary Mar
00:56 Trump's negotiating playbook and the Art of the Deal
03:06 Electricity, the shared grid and Canada's leverage
03:33 Auto sector integration and the legacy of the Auto Pact
04:19 What Canada relies on the U.S. for
07:49 China, canola and the case for diversifying markets
09:08 Is it Trump, or is it America First?
09:36 Why U.S. governors matter more than Washington
12:56 USMCA/CUSMA and labour mobility
13:52 Sovereignty, culture and the environment in trade deals
16:57 Trump tariffs on steel and aluminum
20:35 The canola-for-EV debate and Chinese joint ventures
23:42 Jobs, agriculture and Canada as a food superpower
26:14 Critical minerals, permitting and protecting Canadian jobs
GUESTS
• Gary Mar: President & CEO of Canada West Foundation
Forum Dialogue
Host: Hal Roberts
FOLLOW US
• Subscribe: youtube.com/@TheNewsForum
• Twitter/X: https://x.com/thenewsforum_
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-news-forum
TAGS
#CanadaUSTrade #GaryMar #ForumDialogue #CanadaWestFoundation #TradeWar #Tariffs #USMCA #CUSMA #CanadianEconomy #Trump #CanadaPolitics #CriticalMinerals #Canola #EVs #ChinaTrade #SupplyManagement #EnergyPolicy #Agriculture #CdnPoli #TradePolicy
On this episode of Forum Dialogue, host Hal Roberts sits down with guest Gary Mar, President and CEO of the Canada West Foundation and former Alberta cabinet minister, to unpack the state of Canada–U.S. trade. From Donald Trump's negotiating tactics and the real leverage Canada holds, electricity, potash, softwood lumber and an integrated auto sector, to tariffs, USMCA/CUSMA, critical minerals and the growing trade relationship with China, Gary Mar makes the case for why Canada is an under-appreciated economic and agricultural superpower, and how building relationships with U.S. governors may matter more than deals struck in Washington.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro: Canada–U.S. trade tensions and welcoming Gary Mar
00:56 Trump's negotiating playbook and the Art of the Deal
03:06 Electricity, the shared grid and Canada's leverage
03:33 Auto sector integration and the legacy of the Auto Pact
04:19 What Canada relies on the U.S. for
07:49 China, canola and the case for diversifying markets
09:08 Is it Trump, or is it America First?
09:36 Why U.S. governors matter more than Washington
12:56 USMCA/CUSMA and labour mobility
13:52 Sovereignty, culture and the environment in trade deals
16:57 Trump tariffs on steel and aluminum
20:35 The canola-for-EV debate and Chinese joint ventures
23:42 Jobs, agriculture and Canada as a food superpower
26:14 Critical minerals, permitting and protecting Canadian jobs
GUESTS
• Gary Mar: President & CEO of Canada West Foundation
Forum Dialogue
Host: Hal Roberts
FOLLOW US
• Subscribe: youtube.com/@TheNewsForum
• Twitter/X: https://x.com/thenewsforum_
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-news-forum
TAGS
#CanadaUSTrade #GaryMar #ForumDialogue #CanadaWestFoundation #TradeWar #Tariffs #USMCA #CUSMA #CanadianEconomy #Trump #CanadaPolitics #CriticalMinerals #Canola #EVs #ChinaTrade #SupplyManagement #EnergyPolicy #Agriculture #CdnPoli #TradePolicy
