Maroc - RAWSTORY.COM - Raw Story - 27/Nov 16:54

Close relationship between US and Canada 'has ended': prime minister

The "close relationship" between the United States and Canada has ended, according to its prime minister, Mark Carney. In an appearance to announce a series of economic measures to help and protect the steel and lumber industries, PM Carney made it clear what Canada's relationship with the U.S. now looked like. "We know that this decades long process of our ever-closer economic relationship between Canada and the United States has ended, and as a consequence of that, many of our strengths have become our vulnerabilities, particularly in those industries that are most tightly integrated with the United States," Carney said.Protecting the steel and lumber mills came through further limitations on foreign steel imports, which CTV News reports is largely aimed at making a dent in rising Chinese steel imports. It's not the only problem Canadian and United States' relationship is facing, with Canadians ditching the US to make holiday plans just about anywhere else. Ten months on from the start of Trump's second term and it seems Canadians are still being cautious about holidaying in the U.S. Both last-minute travelers and vacationers abroad see members of the public avoiding the U.S., as they instead head further afield for their trips. The number of Canadians returning from the U.S. by car and plane in September dropped by a third compared to the same month last year, according to The Economic Times.Canadian holidaymakers have since shed some light on why they are avoiding the U.S., with some fearing ICE Agents and rising travel costs. Nathalie Morisseau says the U.S. is currently "not attractive" as a place to holiday in, and she even considers it "scary." She added, "With my father being Haitian, there’s a certain fear around being able to go to the United States."Canadian services are suffering too as a result of the travel downturn. Will McAleer, executive director of the Travel Health Insurance Association of Canada, said, "Canadians are really choosing destinations other than the US to travel." The group found that just 10 percent of baby boomers have plans to head to the US this winter, a drop of two-thirds compared to last year.