Ayotte will skip governors’ meeting with Canadian premiers
A meeting between six Northeastern governors and several Canadian province premiers to discuss relations in the face of tariffs is in the planning stages, but when it happens, Gov. Kelly Ayotte won’t be attending.
CONCORD, NH – A meeting between six Northeastern governors and several Canadian province premiers to discuss relations in the face of tariffs is in the planning stages, but when it happens, Gov. Kelly Ayotte won’t be attending.
Ayotte has already met on her own with three Canadian provincial premiers and other business leaders, according to her office, in response to an inquiry from Ink Link about why she is not taking part.
“New Hampshire and Canada share a strong economic relationship, and I am focused on strengthening those ties,” Ayotte said by email. “I’ve met with many Canadian officials and premiers already and look forward to future meetings, including leading a trade mission to Canada later this year.”
Ayotte didn’t elaborate on what, if any, results there were from her meetings with Canadian officials or why she’s taking a pass on the regional governors’ meeting. Ayotte also referenced the September trade mission to Canada in a May 4 interview with WMUR-TV, but further details haven’t been made public. In February interviews with media, she said she may travel to Canada to recruit investment and businesses for the state.
Scheduling for the meeting between six Northeastern governors and several Canadian premiers is underway, the Boston Herald reported Tuesday.
On May 4, five of New England’s six governors – Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee and Vermont Gov. Phil Scott – as well as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, announced they’d invited six Canadian premiers to meet in Boston to discuss trade issues in light of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. All but Scott are Democrats.
In the invitation to the premiers, the governors said they hope to “maintain open lines of communication and cooperation and identify avenues to overcome the hardship of the uninvited tariffs and help our economies endure.” The statement said the governors are “committed to preserving cross-border travel, encouraging tourism in our respective jurisdictions, and amenities.”
The governors said that a collaboration between states, many of which have inter-connected industries and businesses, is vital in the face of the impact the tariffs will have on the economy. “It’s more important than ever that governors work together to protect their states from these costs,” New York’s Hochul said.
Invited to the meeting are the premiers of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Québec. “Nearly all” of the premiers have agreed to the meeting, the Boston Herald reported Tuesday, though Healy’s office didn’t specify to the newspapers which ones.
Since Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met last week, trade representatives from both countries have also talked, according to media reports.
According to her office, Ayotte has met with:
- Minister for Public Safety David McGuinty
- Quebec Premier Francois Legault
- Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, Saskatchewan
- Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King and delegation
- Consul General Bernadette Jordan
- Jeff Matthews, CEO of Irving Oil
Canada and New Hampshire are active trading partners. The state exported $1.2 billion in goods to Canada in 2024, and imported $1.9 billion in goods from its neighbor to the north, according to a March report from the Canadian consulate general.
New Hampshire isn’t alone – trade between Canada and the six New England states accounted for $27 billion in goods last year, according to the U.S. Census. Maine alone had $6 billion in cross-border commerce with Canada last year, Gov. Janet Mills said earlier this month.
President Trump’s 25% tariff on all Canadian goods entering the U.S. announced in March was paused shortly after, but last month tariffs on a variety of specific items, including steel, aluminum, automobiles, and more went into effect. Canada, in turn, has levied a 25% tariff on all U.S. goods entering the country.
Canadians, in protest, are also backing off on summer travel to New England, a significant part of New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont’s tourist economy.
Canada is New Hampshire’s second-largest trading partner, behind Germany, to which the state exported $1.4 billion in goods (mostly machinery and electronics) last year, according to the U.S. Trade Representative. Germany, so far hasn’t levied reciprocal tariffs to counter the 10% the U.S. has put on all its goods coming into the U.S.
But Germany is also one of New Hampshire’s top import sources, with $877 million in goods – mostly machinery, appliances, chemicals and plastic – coming into the state in 2024, which will be subject to the new 10% tariff.
