U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced that both President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney will be presented with “options” following trade discussions between Canadian and U.S. trade officials on Thursday. Greer highlighted that the negotiations progress from the perspective of the Trump administration.
In an exclusive interview with CBC News after the talks, Greer described the meetings as “good” and “cordial.” He mentioned plans for communication with the president and anticipated Canadian officials to engage with the prime minister.
Following the meeting, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc expressed commitment to meeting the expectations of Canadians in the negotiation process. LeBlanc did not specify the number of future meetings with Greer, emphasizing their readiness for as many discussions as necessary.
It was revealed that LeBlanc would update the Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations on the negotiation progress on Friday afternoon. This committee serves as a platform for developing strategies on Canada’s economic ties with the U.S.
LeBlanc is scheduled to brief the provinces on Friday as well, according to Quebec’s envoy for the CUSMA review, Louise Blais, who shared this information in an interview with Radio-Canada. Both LeBlanc and chief trade negotiator Janice Charette met with Greer, marking their second meeting this week and the fourth in three weeks.
The discussions intensified after Trump’s threat to impose 50% duties on numerous Canadian goods, in addition to existing sectoral tariffs. These new tariffs are set to come into effect on August 19.
Charette continued discussions with her American counterpart late into the evening at the U.S. Trade Representative office following the afternoon meeting, as informed by a CBC News source.
Recent reports indicated that the U.S. offered a new proposal on Tuesday, aiming to reduce some sectoral tariffs but not meeting Canadian expectations. The Americans are also pursuing preferential access to Canadian critical minerals, covering security and energy aspects.
LeBlanc and Greer aim to present a potential trade deal path to President Trump as early as Monday. However, Canadian sources emphasized that there would be little willingness to continue talks if the August 19 tariffs are imposed due to various trade disputes, including issues with U.S. alcohol, motor vehicles, and dairy.
Industry sources revealed that Canada is ready to address some of these concerns by potentially ending booze bans and making adjustments to the automotive and dairy sectors.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford expressed openness to reintroducing U.S. alcohol to the province if a fair deal safeguarding Ontario’s key sectors is reached. Ford emphasized that tariffs on Canada equate to taxes on the American populace and urged Americans to send a message during the upcoming midterms.
Ford’s stance on U.S. alcohol bans aligns with Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette’s office, which insists on keeping U.S. alcohol out of Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) outlets until a fair agreement is reached. The Quebec government maintains authority over alcohol sales decisions within the province.
