ItB次元官网网址檚 a truism in foreign-policy circles that the world learned some hard lessons from Donald TrumpB次元官网网址檚 volatile first term as president.

But as the prospect of a second term looms, could it also be true that the notoriously stubborn Trump and his advisers left the White House with a better grasp of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 relationship with B次元官网网址� and importance to B次元官网网址� the United States?

B次元官网网址淵eah, I think so B次元官网网址� I do,B次元官网网址� said Kirsten Hillman, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 envoy in Washington.

For starters, there was the arduous 18-month renegotiation of NAFTA, in which even AmericaB次元官网网址檚 self-proclaimed champion dealmaker has long suggested Canada proved a more worthy adversary than he expected.

But Trump was also president in early 2020, when COVID-19 was beginning to flourish on North American soil, soon to blossom into a global crisis that showed the U.S. a thing or two about its largest trading partner.

B次元官网网址淲hen we restricted movement on our border, it took less than a day for people to fully understand the implications,B次元官网网址� Hillman said.

They promptly discovered just how much traffic, travel and commerce crossed the Canada-U.S. border each day, B次元官网网址渁nd therefore, as a consequence, (came to) fully appreciate the degree to which we are integrated and mutually supportive.B次元官网网址�

Hillman described daily conversations with senior members of TrumpB次元官网网址檚 White House COVID-19 task force to talk about supply chains, vaccine development efforts and how to secure personal protective equipment.

Trump promptly imposed export restrictions on scarce commodities like gloves and surgical masks, but exempted both Canada and Mexico, because B次元官网网址渢hey realized, B次元官网网址楾hey need us, but we need them,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not saying itB次元官网网址檚 front of mind, as it was obviously at the time, but itB次元官网网址檚 there B次元官网网址� in a way thatB次元官网网址檚 deeper than it was before.B次元官网网址�

That has given Canada something of a head start as it continues outreach efforts with former officials, U.S. lawmakers and others who might be expected to play a role in a second Donald Trump presidency.

Those efforts have been underway for a while now, said Hillman, who described a more robust policy and transition B次元官网网址渁pparatusB次元官网网址� around Trump than there was in 2016.

B次元官网网址淎ll of it is being developed in quite a systematic way, much more akin to what happens normally with other candidates and both parties,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淪o we can access that, right? We can talk to those people B次元官网网址� and we are talking to them, and will continue to B次元官网网址� to understand the policy positions they are advocating for the potential Trump administration.B次元官网网址�

HillmanB次元官网网址檚 primary responsibility, and preferred strategy, is best described as making sure decision-makers across the U.S. at every level of government grasp how Canada touches their lives, often in discreet and unheralded ways.

One sign of that strategy working: the American Canadian Economy and Security caucus, a bilateral coalition of like-minded lawmakers unveiled this past summer by Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) and Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Tex.).

It sprang up over the summer after Zaib Shaikh, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 consul general in Los Angeles, pointed out that AmodeiB次元官网网址檚 district alone was exporting nearly $1.5 billion a year north of the border, underpinning an estimated 12,000 U.S. jobs.

Amodei immediately wanted to know more, including which of his fellow U.S. lawmakers and senators had comparable stakes in Canada. The caucus now comprises more than a dozen members, House and Senate, Republican and Democrat alike.

B次元官网网址淲e had a very successful year in raising the profile of the relationship and deepening the relationship,B次元官网网址� Hillman said.

B次元官网网址淎nd itB次元官网网址檚 coming at a really important time: to be in this place now, as we head into an election year in the United States, is a good position to be in.B次元官网网址�

When talking to Team Trump, B次元官网网址渨hatB次元官网网址檚 crucial is that we bring the Canadian perspectiveB次元官网网址� to issues of myriad mutual interest, she said B次元官网网址� trade, defence, transportation and agriculture, to name a few.

Hillman lingered over one example in particular B次元官网网址� energy policy B次元官网网址� thatB次元官网网址檚 sure to be a dominant theme for a would-be president who has promised to B次元官网网址渄rill, drill, drillB次元官网网址� on his first day back in the West Wing.

B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址楥anada is, by far, the biggest and most secure energy supplier for the United States across all areas of energy production, and we will always be here for you,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� she said, describing one such hypothetical conversation.

B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址楽o as youB次元官网网址檙e thinking about how youB次元官网网址檙e going to refine your energy policies, remember, we are sort of hand-in-hand with you on that.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

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