Actor Michael J. Fox says the current state of Canada-U.S. relations is “sad” and “pointless,” though he believes personal ties between Canadians and Americans remain intact despite the ongoing trade dispute between the two countries.
Fox made the comments to The Canadian Press following an Order of Canada ceremony in Ottawa, where he was promoted from officer to companion of the order, an honour he first received in 2010. He was among more than 50 people recognized at the ceremony.
Canada and the United States have been engaged in a trade war since U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office and began imposing new tariffs that Canada says breach the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. Tensions worsened in August when talks aimed at resolving outstanding trade disputes collapsed ahead of a Trump-imposed deadline, after which the U.S. moved to impose tariffs targeting $28 billion worth of Canadian goods. Canada responded with its own retaliatory tariffs, and the U.S. followed with outright bans on imports of some Canadian products.
Fox Distinguishes Politics From People
Fox, who holds dual citizenship and moved to Los Angeles in 1979 before becoming a U.S. citizen in 2000, said the friction driven by U.S. political leadership does not reflect how ordinary Americans feel about Canada.
“It’s really sad. It’s so pointless. And I have to tell you, it doesn’t reflect the opinions or the attitudes of virtually any Americans I meet outside of this little cabal of political reactionaries,” he said, adding that the relationship “hasn’t risen to the level of animus, or contention” at a personal level.
He said he has not closely followed every move Ottawa has made in response to the tariffs but said he appreciates the government’s posture of “fighting back and standing firm.” Fox added that he expects developments over the coming years, saying he thinks “there will be some selective backtracking.”
Trade Dispute Context
The dispute has included additional symbolic moves, with Trump signing an executive order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America and saying this week he was teaching Canada a “little lesson.” Trump has also previously suggested Canada could become a U.S. state and has used the term “governor” to refer to Prime Minister Mark Carney and former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
Fox said that while people in his social circles are aware of the tensions and sometimes bring up the subject, he tries not to let it dominate conversations, noting that “people get tired of it after a while.”
This article references reporting from:
