U.S. ambassador also believes Biden’s visit to Ottawa a triumph for both parties

The federal Liberals aren’t the only ones declaring U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit to Ottawa a triumph for Canada-U.S. relations: Washington’s envoy, too, described it on Mar. 24 as an “overarching success.”

Biden got what he wanted on several issues, including a clear timeline on key aspects of upgrading Norad, progress on critical minerals and signs the two countries are ever more aligned on China, said U.S. ambassador David Cohen.

On Norad, “the lingering issue of ongoing discussion — it wasn’t a point of contention — was the timing of some of the commitments and what some of the commitments meant in terms of dollars,” Cohen said.

Those commitments include a $7-billion plan that includes the first of new over-the-horizon radar systems within the next five years, with other upgrades to be completed in time for Canada to welcome its new F-35 fighters.

“For the first time, there is a clear date attached to the operability of at least the first of those (over-the-radar upgrades) being 2028, and that is the year that Norad was looking for.”

The two countries also outlined on Mar. 24th an ambitious vision for a robust and reliable supply chain on critical minerals, which are vital elements for the manufacture of electric vehicles, semiconductors and modern-day weaponry.

During a joint news conference with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, however, Biden raised eyebrows when he seemed to suggest Canada has no ambitions for its critical-minerals wealth beyond extraction and export.

“We don’t have the minerals to mine; you can mine them,” Biden said. “You don’t want to turn them into product. We do.”

Cohen shrugged that off, chalking it up as an awkward effort to illustrate how compatible the respective strengths of the two economies promise to be.

“I think the point that he was trying to make was that there were tremendous complementary strengths and opportunities in the critical mineral space between Canada and the United States,” he said.

“Canada has the critical minerals the United States doesn’t have. As a result, Canadian participation in the critical minerals supply chain and value chains is a given.”

As proof, Cohen pointed to the agreement announced on Mar. 24 with IBM to expand a semiconductor assembly and testing facility in Bromont, Que., creating a corridor between Canada and upstate New York that will involve “every element” of the semiconductor supply chain.

One of the most immediate effects of Biden’s visit was the overnight closure of the Canada-U.S. border to northbound asylum seekers, the result of a “supplement” to a 2004 migration treaty between the two countries.

Weekend media reports described both a mad scramble by migrants to get into Canada via the busy unofficial crossing at Roxham Road before Friday night’s midnight deadline, as well as scores of would-be asylum claimants being turned away in the hours after the new agreement took effect.