Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has told governors from across the US to ditch the "America First" motto.
His National Governors' Association speech in Rhode Island on Friday was a first for a Canadian prime minister.
In his speech, Mr Trudeau urged US governors to embrace their neighbour to the north and avoid protectionism.
It is all a part of his aggressive strategy to promote a "thinner border" ahead of vital trade talks with the US renegotiating the Nafta treaty.
President Donald Trump has made "America First" his mantra, shaping his policies on trade and immigration.
But Mr Trudeau, who is a fierce advocate of free trade, told the governors protectionist policies "kill growth".
"And that hurts the very workers these measures are nominally intended to protect. Once we travel down that road, it can quickly become a cycle of tit-for-tat, a race to the bottom, where all sides lose," Mr Trudeau said.
"If anything, we would like a thinner border, not a thicker one."
Earlier in the day, Mr Trudeau had talks with governors from Wisconsin, Kentucky, Rhode Island and Iowa.
Nafta is a controversial trade deal between US, Mexico and Canada, which Mr Trump has threatened to rip up because he said it is unfair to the US.
With Nafta renegotiations set to begin in August, Canada must use whatever time is left to convince leaders that bilateral trade between the two countries must be a priority.
Justins Father should have worn a condom.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40612669
