By The Canadian Press

U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra to make first official appearance at business summit

May 7, 2025 | 8:00 AM

OTTAWA — U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra will make his first official appearance in the role at the B7 Summit in Ottawa next week.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is hosting the annual gathering of business leaders from the G7 countries this year.

The event program shows that Hoekstra will address the summit on May 16.

Hoekstra was sworn in as ambassador to Canada on April 15 in Washington, and received his official credentials from Governor General Mary Simon on April 29.

Hoekstra served as the U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands during the first Trump administration and was chair of the Michigan Republican Party during the 2024 U.S. election.

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The ambassador was in the room for Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first face-to-face meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford posted on social media that he spoke with Hoekstra Wednesday morning about the meeting between Carney and Trump.

Ford said he “stressed” that the first step in building up the North American economy is the elimination of American tariffs on Canadian exports.

The B7 Summit is being held in Ottawa at the National Arts Centre from May 14 to May 16.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2025.

The Canadian Press