Canada’s Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and his American counterpart are working towards presenting a potential trade deal to U.S. President Donald Trump by Monday, as per CBC News sources. The aim is to provide the proposal to Trump at least a day before the upcoming tariff deadline to allow for a final decision before new tariffs on Canadian imports go into effect on August 19. The sources, who were briefed on the matter, requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly.
LeBlanc recently met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington for the third time in three weeks. Following the meeting, both LeBlanc and Canada’s chief trade negotiator, Janice Charette, did not respond to reporters’ questions. LeBlanc’s original travel plans were disrupted by severe weather, causing his flight to be diverted back to Montreal. Meanwhile, Charette held meetings with officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative in Washington on Monday.
The discussions between LeBlanc and Charette aim to prevent new tariffs and seek relief from existing sectoral tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Canadian steel, aluminum, lumber, and autos. Additionally, Canada hopes for an extension of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) following the Trump administration’s decision not to renew the deal in July.
The U.S. raised concerns, including Canada’s response to U.S. trade policies affecting the removal of U.S. alcohol from provincial store shelves and alleged discrimination against U.S. motor vehicles and dairy. The latest tariffs cover approximately five percent of Canadian exports to the U.S., targeting goods such as alcohol, hockey sticks, and cement.
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner stressed the importance of Canada being in a strong negotiating position with the White House. Rempel Garner also criticized Prime Minister Mark Carney for not securing a trade agreement with the Trump administration despite being in office for over a year. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre urged Carney to prioritize zero tariffs on softwood lumber, end sectoral tariffs on steel and aluminum, establish a tariff-free auto pact, and secure full exemptions to Buy America rules on infrastructure projects at all governmental levels.