Trudeau hosts Canada-U.S. economic summit amid tariff pause – National [Video]

The federal government is hosting a summit in Toronto Friday aimed at bolstering the economy in the face of Canada’s rapidly changing relationship with its largest trading partner.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to impose sweeping tariffs this week has been put on pause until March 4.

That looming threat and the volatility of his administration has many business and labour leaders urging Canada to look for alternative trading partners and ways to strengthen internal trade.

The summit is being hosted by the government’s newly created advisory council on Canada-U.S. relations, and includes business and labour leaders, Indigenous leaders and public policy experts.

Flavio Volpe, a member of the advisory council and president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association, says he hopes the meeting is just the start of something bigger.

He says Canada is facing “the most serious industrial threat we’ve ever faced” and the moment calls for a collective effort similar to what happened in …