- With six days to go before another wave of tariffs, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Chief Trade Negotiator Janice Charette met on Thursday.
- The meeting took place inside Greer’s office, just steps from the White House, and lasted 90 minutes.
- LeBlanc said, “We’ll have as many meetings as it takes,” and will brief the Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations on Friday afternoon.
- Canadian and U.S. trade officials hope to have a layout of a deal in front of Trump before next Wednesday, but Team Canada believes Trump has not yet been briefed on the state of the talks.
- Sources confirmed that Janice Charrette warned that if Trump’s team puts new tariffs in place next week, further trade negotiations may be at risk.
- It was conveyed to Greer that the federal government cannot push provinces to return U.S. alcohol to store shelves without comprehensive and meaningful tariff relief; Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he’s not interested in restocking U.S. booze until a deal protects Ontario’s manufacturing industry.
- Ford said “we have to match tariff for tariff” and added “We’re their No. 1 customer, folks,” referring to American imports to Canada; U.S. Customs data shows the U.S. exported US$176-billion worth of goods to Canada and imported US$200 billion.
With just six days remaining before a new wave of tariffs on Canadian exports, Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Chief Trade Negotiator Janice Charette are intensifying negotiations with U.S. officials. The urgency is underscored by U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose 50% tariffs on a variety of Canadian goods.13456
The recent meeting, which lasted 90 minutes and took place near the White House, aimed to finalize a deal before the deadline. LeBlanc stated, “We’ll have as many meetings as it takes,” indicating a commitment to resolving the trade tensions.2
Sources indicate that Canadian and U.S. trade officials are working to present a deal to Trump before next Wednesday. However, there are concerns that if new tariffs are implemented, further negotiations could be jeopardized. A senior source close to the Canadian negotiating team noted that Trump has not yet been briefed on the current state of talks.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has expressed reluctance to restock U.S. alcohol until a deal is reached that protects Ontario's manufacturing sector, stating, “we have to match tariff for tariff.” U.S. Customs data reveals that the U.S. exported US$176 billion worth of goods to Canada while importing US$200 billion in return, highlighting the significant trade relationship at stake.89101112
“The 90-minute meeting in Greer's office near the White House aimed to finalize a deal layout for Trump before next Wednesday, though Team Canada believes he hasn't been briefed yet. Ontario Premier Doug Ford insists on matching tariffs, citing US$176-billion in U.S. exports to Canada.”
