Quebec Premier Plans Diplomatic Push After U.S. Midterms
Premier Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon said the new U.S. Congress gives Quebec a chance to ease tariff pressures on softwood lumber, aluminium and other goods through a planned diplomatic offensive.
Quebec Premier Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon told reporters in Quebec City that his government will launch a "diplomatic offensive" toward the United States following the U.S. midterm elections, which gave Democrats control of both houses of Congress.
"I think we're in a better position to possibly find a solution because Americans have spoken, the situation has changed," the premier said. He added that Quebec will first open channels of discussion before deciding whether to engage directly in trade negotiations.
"So what we're going to do is prepare a diplomatic offensive of discussion with the Americans to see if there isn't a solution," St‑Pierre Plamondon said.
Political context
The midterms saw Democrats flip long‑held Republican Senate seats in Texas, Kansas and South Carolina and retain battleground seats in Georgia and Michigan. The elections turned the U.S.‑Canada trade war into a ballot‑box issue in close races in Maine and Michigan, where Democrats defeated Republican rivals.
Economic stakes for Quebec
Quebec is among the Canadian provinces most affected by U.S. tariffs on softwood lumber, aluminium and various manufactured goods, according to the premier’s remarks.
Relations with Ottawa
St‑Pierre Plamondon explained his absence from the Canada‑European Union summit in Montreal after Ottawa declined to grant him official speaking rights. He also noted a possible additional discussion at the Francophonie summit in Cambodia later this month, which both leaders will attend.