SEA President Richard Gulla Op Ed in the Union Leader: Our relationship with Canada is bigger than this trade dispute

This week, I had the opportunity to visit the Canadian Embassy and meet with Deputy Ambassador Nadia Theodore as part of my work as a member of the New Hampshire Canadian Trade Council. The visit came at a difficult moment: Canada has suspended trade negotiations with the United States, and both countries are imposing substantial tariffs.

The disagreements are serious. But my visit reinforced something we cannot afford to forget: the relationship between our countries is much bigger than any president, prime minister, tariff or negotiating dispute.

For generations, Americans and Canadians have built one of the strongest partnerships in the world. We share the world’s longest international border, defend a continent together and maintain economic, cultural and family connections reaching into nearly every New Hampshire community. Many of our labor unions also represent members on both sides of that border — another reminder that our lives and livelihoods are deeply connected.

For me, that relationship is personal. My family frequently vacationed in Montreal and Quebec City, often returning year after year. Those trips gave us an appreciation for the history, culture and hospitality of our Canadian neighbors. They taught me that Canada is not simply another foreign market. Canadians are our neighbors, customers, suppliers, business partners, friends and relatives.

New Hampshire and Canada are especially intertwined. Generations of Quebecers came south to work in our mills and helped build communities such as Manchester, Nashua and Berlin. Families still cross the border for weddings, vacations, hockey games and visits with loved ones. Canadian tourists support restaurants, hotels, retailers and attractions throughout our state, particularly in the North Country.

Our economic relationship is just as extensive. The latest figures show that New Hampshire exported $852 million in goods and $383 million in services to Canada while importing $1.9 billion in Canadian goods. Those numbers represent workers, paychecks and businesses — not merely entries on a trade ledger.

These connections span advanced manufacturing, life sciences, banking, technology, energy, tourism and forest products. New England Wire Technologies, Galvion, SleepNet and TD Bank are among the businesses represented on the New Hampshire Canadian Trade Council.

The council deserves recognition for bringing together Republicans, Democrats, business leaders, state officials, educators and the one lucky — or unlucky — labor representative. For 35 years, it has strengthened economic and cultural cooperation through the good, the bad and the ugly.

As the first labor leader appointed to the council, I believe working people must have a voice in these discussions. Tariffs are ultimately paid somewhere — by businesses obtaining materials, workers whose jobs depend on reliable supply chains or families facing higher prices.

A fair agreement must protect workers and businesses while respecting the sovereignty, democratic institutions and cultural identities of both countries. Americans should also understand that the French language is not a negotiating inconvenience to Canadians. For francophone communities across Canada, it is central to identity, history and culture.

Respect and true partnership must guide the way forward. As Canada’s prime minister said Monday, “When the Americans go to the negotiating table first, with the right attitude towards our industries and in a true partnership, of course we’ll come to the negotiating table.”