U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer shared that both U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney will receive “options” after trade discussions between Canadian and U.S. trade officials on Thursday. Greer mentioned that the president and prime minister will engage in discussions based on the outcomes of the talks. The meetings were described as positive and friendly by Greer, who spoke exclusively to CBC News post the discussions.
Following the meeting, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc stated that they will continue fulfilling the expectations of Canadians in their work. LeBlanc did not specify the number of upcoming meetings with Greer but emphasized they are prepared to have as many discussions as necessary.
LeBlanc is set to update the Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations on the negotiation progress, aiming to strategize Canada’s economic approach towards the U.S. Furthermore, LeBlanc will also brief provinces on the developments, as indicated by Louise Blais, Quebec’s envoy for the CUSMA review, during an interview with Radio-Canada.
The meeting between LeBlanc, chief trade negotiator Janice Charette, and Greer marked the second encounter this week and the fourth within three weeks. Talks intensified after Trump’s threat to impose significant tariffs on Canadian goods, in addition to existing sectoral tariffs, scheduled for implementation on Aug. 19.
Charette continued discussions with her U.S. counterpart late into the evening at the U.S. Trade Representative office following the afternoon meeting. The negotiations aim to present Trump with a potential trade deal proposal at the earliest by Monday, with the hope of addressing various trade issues between the two countries.
There is an ongoing effort to lower sectoral tariffs, albeit not to the extent desired by the Canadian side. The Americans are also pushing for preferential access to Canadian critical minerals, covering security and energy aspects in the deal. The Canadian team has asserted that the political willingness to continue talks will diminish if the Aug. 19 tariffs are imposed.
Industry sources hinted that the Canadian side is willing to address some trade concerns, including lifting booze bans and considering adjustments in the automotive and dairy sectors. Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed a willingness to reintroduce U.S. alcohol onto the province’s shelves upon reaching a fair deal that safeguards various sectors.
Ford emphasized that tariffs on Canada equate to taxes on American citizens and urged action to convey a message during the U.S. midterms. The sentiments align with Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette’s office, maintaining the ban on U.S. alcohol sales until a fair agreement is reached, stressing Quebec’s exclusive authority over alcohol sales decisions.
