Photos: Kaine Completes Bipartisan Trade Mission to Ottawa Alongside Virginia FREE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) returned from Ottawa, Canada, where he joined Virginia FREE on a trade mission that included Virginia business leaders and a bipartisan group of current and former state government officials. During the trade mission, the group engaged with Canadian businesses and leaders to discuss the Virginia-Canada trade relationship. Kaine also participated in a fireside chat with Canadian Senator Peter Harder at the Canada 2020 Policy Forum, and in bilateral meetings with Kirsten Hillman, Ambassador of Canada to the United States, and David McGuinty, Canadian Minister of National Defense, to discuss issues relating to trade and shared security challenges.
The meetings came shortly after the reintroduction of Kaine’s legislation to undo President Donald Trump’s International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs on Canada. The Senate will vote on the legislation in October.
“Canada is Virginia’s largest export market, and our communities look forward to welcoming Canadian tourists every year,” said Kaine. “I was glad to visit Canada for the second time this year, this time alongside a bipartisan group of Virginia leaders, to emphasize how much we value Virginia’s relationship with Canada. I’d like to thank the Canadian businesses for the insights they shared with our group, as well as Ambassador Hillman, Minister McGuinty, and Senator Harder for taking the time to have valuable conversations about the U.S.-Canada relationship. Throughout these meetings, I heard again and again about how much damage the trade war is doing to our bilateral relationship.”
Kaine and Virginia FREE’s conversations with Canadian officials and industry representatives focused on the importance of, and need to further strengthen, the trade relationships between Virginia and Canada.
In addition, Kaine met with Minister McGuinty to talk about the critical importance of supporting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and modernizing North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) Command. They also discussed issues related to security in the Arctic, as well as opportunities for the U.S. and Canada’s defense industrial bases to partner on shared priorities.
Lastly, Kaine participated in a wide-ranging fireside chat with Senator Peter Harder at the Canada 2020 Policy Forum that touched on various aspects of the U.S.-Canada relationship, including security, trade, and the importance of democracies working together.
Since the beginning of the year, exports of U.S. distilled spirits declined by about 62 percent, and tourism from Canada to the U.S. fell by 33.9 percent. In 2024, Canada was Virginia’s largest export market, accounting for 15 percent of Virginia’s exports. In 2022, top goods exports from Virginia to Canada included motor vehicles and transportation equipment, such as medium- and heavy-duty trucks. 56.1 percent of Southwest Virginia’s economic output is dependent on trade.
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