Canada and US Resume Trade Talks as Tariff Deadline Looms
Top Canadian and US negotiators meet again in Washington to finalize a trade deal before a Saturday tariff deadline, with progress reported on vehicles, steel, and aluminum.
Senior trade negotiators from Canada and the United States are meeting in Washington for a second consecutive day, intensifying efforts to finalize an agreement before a looming tariff deadline. Canada's minister responsible for US trade, Dominic LeBlanc, is scheduled to meet US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Thursday afternoon, with chief negotiator Janice Charette also in attendance.
The talks follow a Wednesday session that yielded what both sides described as significant progress. The emerging deal is expected to reduce the top tariff on Canadian-built vehicles from 25% to 15%, and halve tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum to 25%, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.
US President Donald Trump indicated on Wednesday that Washington would make concessions, and suggested the agreement would also lead to the removal of Canadian tariffs on US goods. Prime Minister Mark Carney briefed provincial premiers after the Wednesday meeting, with some noting his call to end provincial bans on US alcohol if a deal is reached—a move that would address a key irritant for Washington.
In a separate development, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand at the White House later Thursday.
The urgency stems from a US threat to impose a new 50% tariff on approximately $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. Trump postponed that measure until early Saturday, citing progress in negotiations and a deal that remains subject to finalizing documents.
The two economies, deeply integrated as long-standing trading partners, have been locked in a trade dispute since the US imposed tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, and vehicles last year, prompting retaliatory measures from Ottawa.