As insults fly around trade, negotiators for Canada and the U.S. avoid getting personal in public
Canadian and U.S. trade negotiators are maintaining a professional, diplomatic tone despite escalating public insults between their respective political leaders. Experts suggest this separation of roles is a strategic effort to keep trade discussions viable amidst a broader diplomatic feud.
Why it matters
The ability to decouple technical negotiations from volatile political rhetoric is critical for maintaining international trade stability during periods of high diplomatic tension.
The taunts have escalated the feud between the two countries, which has already led to crushing tariffs on tens of billions of dollars worth of cross-border goods. But the two governments' trade negotiators have avoided getting personal, at least in public.
What went wrong with U.S. trade talks, according to Canada's chief negotiator
Political scientists and a public relations expert say the trade leads are striking a different tone because, like their predecessors in past negotiations, their bosses have given them a specific role to play in the trade dispute — one that would only be made harder by bad blood.
"What we're seeing is a choreography, a play, if you like, where you've got different people playing different roles to have the overall effect that you want to achieve," said Jaime Watt, founder of the public relations firm Navigator.
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