Video taking off 60x its usual first day

Hillman cautions Canada against hoping for a tariff-free deal

The former ambassador tells CTV that congressional pressure could help, but Canadian industries need practical relief rather than a promise of zero tariffs.

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CTV News Story of November 9, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 73,901 views a day, 60 times a normal first day on this channel (1,228).

Future of a trade deal between U.S. and Canada | CTV Question Period

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0:23Hillman says congressional Democrats have been drafting legislation targeting the administration's trade policies.
1:34Previous Senate opposition to tariffs still leaves a sixty-vote hurdle to overcome a filibuster.
2:58On a tariff-free deal, Hillman urges caution and prioritizes relief that allows Canadian industries to thrive.
5:01Democrats could investigate tariff decisions and subpoena documents as well as pursue legislation.
7:48Hillman says advocacy highlighting local economic effects helped focus voters and campaigns on tariffs.

A change in Congress does not automatically mean an end to tariffs on Canada. Kirsten Hillman's message on CTV Question Period is to focus on an arrangement that lets Canadian industries thrive, rather than treating the removal of every tariff as the only acceptable outcome.

"I would be cautious to be hoping for no tariffs," the former Canadian ambassador to the U.S. tells host Vassy Kapelos.

The interview drew about 32,000 views in seven hours, already far beyond the usual first-day audience for CTV News's regular videos. Its central question is what the U.S. midterm results could actually change for Canada's trade negotiations.

Hillman says congressional Democrats have been drafting legislation targeting the administration's trade policies. But she distinguishes opposition to tariffs from the ability to pass a law: previous Senate resolutions condemning them do not remove the hurdle of securing sixty votes to overcome a filibuster.

Legislation is not Congress's only means of applying pressure. Hillman says Democrats can also investigate tariff decisions and subpoena documents, bringing scrutiny even where passing a bill proves difficult. She notes that the president has said since the election that he remains comfortable with his tariff policy.

For Hillman, Canadian advocacy matters when it makes the effects tangible for Americans. She says outreach highlighting local economic consequences helped put tariffs on the agenda for voters and campaigns. The negotiating priority, in her words, is "the deal that works for Canada."

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