U.S. President Donald Trump views Canada as “nasty” to deal with, in part because of Canadians avoiding travel to the U.S. and bans on American alcohol—remarks made by U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra that have sparked fresh commentary on the cross-border relationship.
Speaking at the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region Foundation summit in Bellevue, Washington, on Monday (July 21), Hoekstra criticized Canadian actions such as boycotts and product bans, calling them unhelpful.
Hoekstra said such steps “don’t send positive signals” about how Canada treats the United States.
The Canadian Press says the office of B.C. premier David Eby provided a recording of the ambassador’s comments from someone who was in the audience.
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The comments were made in response to a moderator’s question about how to increase travel between Canada and the U.S., particularly ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will feature matches in both Vancouver and Seattle.
“Canadians staying home, that’s their business, you know. I don’t like it, but if that’s what they want to do, it’s fine. They want to ban American alcohol. That’s fine,” Hoekstra said.
“There are reasons why the president and some of his team referred to Canada as being mean and nasty to deal with, OK, because of some of those steps.”
He added, somewhat jokingly, he “can get alcohol across the border if (he) wanted to.”
"We go back and forth to Michigan and they don’t check my car when I come back,” drawing laughter from the audience.
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Premier Eby responded, saying Canadians' actions are making a mark.
“We won’t take these attacks on our jobs, our economy and our sovereignty, lying down. We’ll stand strong together,” the premier told CTV News.
Eby also urged Canadians to vacation at home and support Canadian-made products.
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B.C. was among the first provinces to remove U.S. alcohol from publicly run liquor stores after Trump’s administration imposed steep tariffs on Canadian exports.
This, along with other trade tensions, has prompted a measurable decline in Canadian travel to the U.S.
According to Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians returning by car from the U.S. fell by nearly 32% in March 2025 compared to the previous year—the steepest decline since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Air travel also decreased by 13.5% year-over-year.
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The U.S. Embassy later stated that Ambassador Hoekstra has repeatedly viewed provincial bans on American alcohol as unhelpful to improving U.S.-Canada relations. While he noted these bans don’t foster a positive relationship, he also expressed optimism about the future between the two countries.
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