Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said he would continue building direct ties with U.S. officials after Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada should have one trade negotiator, showing a public disagreement over how Quebec should advance its interests during trade tensions.
On Nov. 10, St-Pierre Plamondon said he had written to 59 newly elected or re-elected U.S. governors and senators in states with business ties to Quebec. He invited them to work with the province on shared priorities. Carney spoke to reporters in Montreal and argued that trade agreements are a federal responsibility.
He said the U.S. executive branch remains central to decisions. The premier’s letters were an effort to build ties, not a stated attempt to replace Ottawa in formal negotiations with the United States. St-Pierre Plamondon defended Quebec’s presence abroad.
He said Carney would not prevent the province from representing its interests in other countries. He also pointed to plans for a Quebec team focused on trade relations. The team would be led by the government’s chief negotiator, Pascal Paradis.
The disagreement comes as Canadian governments seek to protect trade ties amid U.S. tariff disputes. It also comes amid changing political conditions after the American midterm elections.