Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick speaks in the Oval Office of the White House after President Donald Trump signed an executive order, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick dismissed the question of whether U.S. free trade with Canada is dead, calling the notion “silly” because a substantial amount of Canadian goods enter the U.S. tariff-free under the North American free trade deal. But he also said tariffs are here to stay, at least for now