U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held his first in-person meeting with Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand at the State Department in Washington on Thursday. The two officials appeared briefly for photographs but did not take questions. A State Department readout said Rubio and Anand reviewed their cooperation on Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Israel–Hamas conflict and the strategic challenge posed by China. The session followed earlier phone conversations, including one in June ahead of the G-7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta. The visit took place against the backdrop of escalating trade friction. President Donald Trump in July lifted duties on a range of Canadian products to 35%, supplementing separate U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, copper and automobiles. Ottawa’s Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc has so far been unable to secure relief during recent trips to Washington. Tensions have also risen after the State Department this week sanctioned a Canadian judge serving on the International Criminal Court. Thursday’s talks were aimed at keeping diplomatic channels open and laying groundwork for further leader-level engagement despite the widening disputes.