‘Everything is at stake’ for Canada in the U.S. election, says N.J. governor

New Jersey’s governor says his country would be a better neighbour to Canada with Kamala Harris as president.

Phil Murphy, New Jersey’s two-time Democratic governor and president of the Democratic Governors Association, is currently in Canada to talk trade with the provinces and promote his state’s film industry at the Toronto International Film Festival.

While he’s north of the border, he’s also stumping for his party’s presidential candidate, U.S. Vice-President Harris, and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, arguing the U.S. will be a stronger trade partner to Canada with them at the helm.

Republican candidate Donald Trump has promised a 10 per cent tariff on all global goods, if elected. Canada’s federal government is already in talks with Trump officials about carving out a Canadian exemption, CBC News reported last month, but nothing has been promised. 

Harris, meanwhile, has been outspoken against Trump’s proposed tarriffs, but has not yet laid out what Canada-U.S. trade would look like under her leadership. Democrats under President Joe Biden have largely maintained Trump-era protectionist trade policies, and also instituted some of their own, including a Buy American strategy and increased duty fees on Canadian softwood lumber.

Murphy just signed a new memorandum of understanding with Ontario, New Jersey’s top international trading partner, to bolster economic growth in both regions, and will also be making stops in Ottawa and Montreal.

He spoke to As It Happens host Nil Köksal about the U.S. election and what it means for Canada. Here is part of their conversation.

Gov. Murphy, what do you believe is at stake for Canada and for Canadians in this U.S. presidential election? 

This is as stark a choice as we may have ever had in our history … given how close an ally Canada is, and the extent to which we so deeply share common values never mind the … trade, jobs [and] investment implications. 

Everything’s at stake. And God willing, this thing comes out on the right side. It is still far too close to call. Tomorrow night, with the debate [between Harris and Trump], will be a big moment in this campaign, and we’ll see how it goes from there.

America is always going to look out for its own trade interests no matter what, no matter who, is in the White House…. We’ve seen under the Biden administration, they’ve maintained tariffs put in place under Donald Trump. They’ve put in protectionist policies of their own, as we know. Buy American, in terms of procurement, for starters. So is it really going to make that much of a difference in terms of trade and the things that matter so much to Canada and Canadians? 

Yeah, it will. 

We’re talking here about starkly different programs, economic or otherwise. And even when there might be some sort of similarity, it is also a question of degree. 

I can tell you this with great confidence, President Kamala Harris would be building the economy for the middle class out, from the bottom up, and would be very attuned, whether it’s in economic or strategic or other terms, to the needs and objectives of our allies. 

And I say that not because either one of these folks would put anyone’s interests ahead of America’s. We obviously, first and foremost, as you rightfully point out, focus first on our own interests — as we should, as every nation does. 

But … there’s also such a thing as enlightened self-interest. And in that category, strong allies, allies that share our values, that already share a significant economic relationship, the Harris-Walz team knows that if they’re stronger, we in the United States are stronger. And I think you’ll see that through and through in a Harris-Walz administration. 

The Democrats have already signalled, as you well know, an interest in renegotiating CUSMA, Canada-U.S.-Mexico’s trade agreement. It’s up for renewal on July 21, 2026. So why should Canadians believe what you’re saying, that a Kamala Harris win would be better for its interests?

You’re going to see an administration that, while it will strike out on its own … you’ll also have a significant amount of extension of the successes of the Biden administration, which were, consequential, to say the least.

So I think the proof is, in many respects, of what you’ve seen over the past 3 1/2-plus years. I would argue that the relationship between the United States and Canada has never been stronger. 

In terms of trade and revisiting this [agreement], this review was embedded into the agreement.

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