Gov. Phil Scott speaks during a press conference at the end of a summit of New England governors and premiers from eastern Canada in Shelburne on Monday, August 10, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger SHELBURNE — Some of Canada’s top regional leaders on Monday touted the value of a close r elationship with the U.S. and the need for both countries’ federal governments to reach a comprehensive trade deal in the face of President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat. Their comments to reporters at the end of this year’s New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers conference came amid tense U.S.-Canada negotiations in recent days to potentially avert Trump’s proposed 50% levies on a new slate of Canadian goods, which are set to take effect next week. The president’s on-again, off-again approach to trade policy over the past year and a half only continues to hurt the entire region, the leaders said. “What we’re living through right now with the tariffs, with the threat of tariffs, with some of the insults and the talking points, they’re difficult. There’s no way around that,” said Tim Houston, the premier of Nova Scotia. “They’re very difficult.” Instead, said Rob Lantz, the premier of Prince Edward Island, “We would all benefit from more free, fair, tariff-free trade.” At the conference, regional officials and business leaders discussed ways to bolster supply chains supporting business in New England and eastern Canada that are insulated from the whims of U.S. trade policy, Lantz added. The conference included a visit to the South Burlington electric aviation company Beta Technologies, which was one of the event’s largest financial supporters, according to meeting materials. “We want to continue that strong economic relationship that we’ve benefited from for generations,” Lantz saidHouston and Lantz addressed reporters alongside the international minister of Quebec’s provincial government, Gov. Phil Scott and officials from the five other New England states. The press conference was held at Shelburne Farms. Gov. Phil Scott looks on as Rob Lantz, premier of Prince Edward Island, left, gives way to Tim Houston, premier of Nova Scotia, at a press conference at the end of a summit of New England governors and prime ministers from eastern Canada in Shelburne on Monday, August 10, 2026. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger Trump announced last month that he would apply 50% tariffs to a wide range of Canadian products including motor vehicles, dairy products and alcohol, to take effect Aug. 19. The tariffs are a response to “Canada’s discriminatory treatment of American products” through uneven trade policies, the White House has said. Most Canadian provinces, for example, have halted the sales of U.S.-made alcoholic beverages though haven’t restricted similar products from other countries. Some Vermont distilleries, like their counterparts around the country, have felt the pinch of those bans. Canadian provincial leaders have told their federal government that ending those alcohol bans should be on the table in negotiations with Washington, D.C., Lantz told reporters, acknowledging that it was “an irritant” for the president. “This seems to be an opportunity to come to a comprehensive deal and try to put most of this behind us, if not all of it, and move forward,” he said. “So those alcohol bans are simply on the table — but we would like to know what we get in return.” Vermont officials have criticized the latest round of proposed tariffs. Scott, a Republican, sent a letter last month to Howard Lutnick, Trump’s commerce secretary, urging the administration to reverse course for the sake of Vermont’s economic dependence on its northern neighbor.  “We can support American workers, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and insist on fair trade without unnecessarily increasing the cost of living for working-class Americans or weakening our economic partnership with Canada,” Scott wrote. The governor said that, as of Monday, he had yet to receive a response. Read the story on VTDigger here: New England, Canadian leaders tout cross-border ties in face of Trump’s latest tariff threat. ...read more read less