GVBOT Joins Delegation to Washington D.C.
From May 4 to 7, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade joined forces with over 100 business leaders from the Portland Metro Chamber and the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber for a joint advocacy mission to Washington, D.C. The Cascadia Corridor trip brought together civic and business leaders to reinforce the deep economic, cultural, and transportation ties that unite our region and countries. During the mission, delegates participated in over 20 meetings with U.S. federal legislators and Trump Administration officials.
First, the good news. Every Senator and Member of Congress noted that they were opposed to tariffs. Importantly, this included Republican Congressmen. They understood most concretely that broad-sweeping tariffs cause uncertainty for business, could lead to product shortages, and that prices will increase as a result. There was a broad affirmation of the partnership and the positive trading partner that Canada is.
We had the opportunity to meet with Officials from the White House, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), and the Department of Commerce. These meetings occurred the day before Prime Minister Carney met with President Trump. We had the opportunity to speak directly with USTR officials, who clearly conveyed a softening toward Canada and a message of hope that a deal could be reached. Lumber, steel, and aluminum, however, will prove to be more difficult.
Meetings included:
Federal Agencies and the Executive Branch
- White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs & Office of Public Liaison
- U.S. Department of Transportation
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)
- U.S. Department of Commerce
- U.S. Small Business Administration
U.S. Senate and House of Representatives
- Senator Maria Cantwell (Washington)
- Senator Patty Murray (Washington)
- Senator Jeff Merkley (Oregon)
- Senator Ron Wyden (Oregon)
- Congressman Rick Larsen (Washington)
- Congressman Dan Newhouse (Washington)
- Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Washington)
- Congresswoman Susan DelBene (Washington)
- Congressman Adam Smith (Washington)
- Congressman Michael Baumgartner (Washington)
- Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (Oregon)
- Congresswoman Maxine Dexter (Oregon)
- Congresswoman Val Hoyle (Oregon)
- Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (Oregon)
- Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (Oregon)
This mission reaffirmed our commitment to cross-border collaboration and highlighted the Cascadia region's shared priorities, from infrastructure and trade to supply chain resilience and climate innovation.
We received a warm welcome from all elected officials and had a constructive dialogue with Trump Administration officials. While the meetings were positive and proactive, they also reinforced that the U.S. continues to face significant domestic political challenges. Despite the warm welcome, officials could not provide us with certainty on the path forward, noting that the system shifts on each comment or Truth Social post by the President. It is clear that many, even senior officials and congressional leaders, are often as unaware of the end game of the President as Canadians are.
We thank our partners at the Portland and Seattle chambers for their collaboration and look forward to building on this momentum in the months ahead. Rachel Smith, CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber, summed up the West Coast business community’s view of Canada with this phrase: “I know why your elbows are up, but our arms are open when you are ready.”
The Cascadia Corridor remains a powerful platform for regional cooperation, and this mission underscored the value of showing up together. In uncertain times, relationships and regional unity matter more than ever. We look forward to continuing this important work with our U.S. partners and amplifying the voice of the Pacific Northwest on both sides of the border.