Canada seeks a closer relationship with Bermuda as it sets out to widen its ties with more countries.

Tom Clark, the Canadian Consul-General to Bermuda, told The Royal Gazette that Bermuda stands to benefit as the giant to its north diversified trade relationships across the globe.

Mr Clark was visiting the island from New York in the wake of a speech by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last week.

The Canadian leader told attendees that Canada was changing its approach to trade and diplomacy in an era of “great power rivalry”, requiring smaller countries to band together.

Mr Carney said: “To help solve global problems, we're pursuing variable geometry — in other words, different coalitions for different issues based on common values and interests.

“This is not naive multilateralism, nor is it relying on their institutions. It's building coalitions that work — issues by issue, with partners who share enough common ground to act together.

“What it's doing is creating a dense web of connections across trade, investment, culture, on which we can draw for future challenges and opportunities.”

Mr Clark, who is also the Canadian Consul-General in New York, said Canada was seeking to build on relations with Bermuda with “urgency”.

During his two-day visit to the island, he met with Andrew Murdoch, the Governor, David Burt, the Premier and other officials on Monday.

He discussed supply chain diversification with the Premier and said Mr Burt was “extremely positive” about the future of Canadian-Bermuda relations.

Mr Clark told the Gazette: “We’ve got to find different supply chains.

“We are not replacing old supply chains — but adding new supply chains, simply because it’s a protection for Bermuda that if you’re dealing with many people, you’re much more independent than if you’re dealing with just one.

“With the pace of events in the world, I think everybody is seized with the idea that we should probably do this sooner as opposed to later.”

Canada’s relations with the US, its largest trading partner, have grown turbulent in recent times, prompting changes in policy.

Mr Clark said as Canada “reinvents the new order”, it gravitates towards countries with similar values, history, predictability and stability.

He said: “Both Bermuda and Canada are stable, predictable countries and for business this is really good.

“I think that where Bermuda and Canada are going is in the same direction. And I think that it is going to be much more intense than it has been in the past.”

In the past year, he said Canadian visitors to the island have increased by more than 30 per cent, in part because they are choosing not to travel to the US.

Mr Clark said: “There are reasons for it, but I think it is very positive … Canadians are getting to know Bermuda again.

“I think that when you get to know a country, get to know a people, it is easier for how you envisage to do business with them, how you invest with them, co-operate with them.”

Mr Clark, who has been in his post for three years, said: “I have never been more optimistic about Canada-Bermuda relations than I am now.”

He said Canadian investors are fully engaged in the island’s economy and highlighted the close ties between the two countries, such as in education, as another positive in the relationship.

“Thirdly, I think the positive thing that I see as we enter this new order that I’ve been talking about is we should look at each other, Canada and Bermuda, and go ‘You know, you and I could do something together here’.

“We don’t threaten each other, we’re helpful to each other and we share the same values.”

Mr Clark said since Canada and Bermuda are “part of the non-tariff world”, an opportunity exists for the two countries to collaborate and co-operate and the task ahead would be to create coalitions and partnerships around specific ventures.

He added: “If we operate together sharing our values, finding our place in the world, we don’t have to be the meal on the table.

“We don’t have to be what the superpowers eat for breakfast.”

The remark echoed a line from Mr Carney’s speech: “The middle powers must act together, because if we're not at the table, we're on the menu.”

Mr Clark continued: “What Prime Minister Carney did — and I think the reason why so many praised that speech — is he brought together the thinking of a lot of nations.”

Mr Clark said Canada has a history of being a “pretty good convener”, with forums such as the WEF generating good policies and leadership.

He viewed Canada’s role as being a leader but “not in any hegemonic way where we are dictating terms to anybody, that’s not our style, that’s not what we do”.

Last week, US President Donald Trump threatened to impose 100 per cent tariffs on Canada if it established trade relations with China.

It followed a trip by Mr Carney where he met Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Mr Clark said the meeting’s intent was not the forging of “a new strategic, world-changing event”.

He explained: “We went in and took care of some tariffs on their side and they took care of some tariffs on our side, and we came essentially to a trade agreement.

“There is no free trade agreement with China, nor will there ever be. There is no pivot strategically to China away from everybody else.”

He said Canada and the US are “going through a rough spot” but he added that “it is not a divorce”.

Echoing Mr Carney’s Davos speech, Mr Clark said the “rules-based order” which emerged after the Second World War was “gone, that is done”.

He said the bulk of the historical ties between the US and Canada would endure but added: “We have to recognise that the United States is moving in another direction, which is their right.”