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Prime Minister Mark Carney says his government is not yet in a position to agree to a trade deal with the United States, stressing that an agreement will only be possible “when it suits Canadians.”
Speaking to reporters ahead of a Liberal caucus meeting on Wednesday morning, Carney said Ottawa is looking for “the right deal for Canadians.”
“We think there’s deals that are in the best interests of Canada, first and foremost, but also are in the interests of the United States. That’s always been the case. We’ve been consistent,” he said.
“If those deals present themselves, we will pursue them. But we’re not at that position right now.”
The Canada-U.S. trade war is dominating the final days of the U.S. midterm campaign — and now, the president and other senior U.S. officials are suggesting that progress is being made toward a deal. Power & Politics has the latest details from our reporters in Washington. Meanwhile in British Columbia, a snap election call backfires for the NDP as the Conservatives claim a resounding victory. The Power Panel weighs in.
With Canada-U.S. trade tensions emerging as a key issue ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, questions have swirled this week around whether a deal could be reached before the Nov. 3 vote.
U.S. President Donald Trump and other senior American officials have suggested in recent days that progress was being made.
“We’ll have that settled pretty soon. They’re willing to give us anything at this moment,” Trump said during a rally in Michigan on Sunday.
But while trade talks have intensified, sources told CBC News earlier this week that the conversations didn’t mean an agreement was imminent.
A source familiar with the discussions told Radio-Canada that “key elements” of the discussions remain unresolved, adding, “We are not on the verge of an agreement just yet.”
Canada-U.S. negotiations fell apart in August and Washington imposed steep tariffs on a range of Canadian goods. Ottawa announced its own “dollar for dollar” levies in response.
Carney was also asked on Monday about the prospects of a deal, saying that his government is ready “to sign an agreement that is in the interests of Canadians.”
“We have very clear bottom lines, red lines, which meant that we were not willing to sign what was offered in August,” he said. “To the extent to which the U.S. is moving towards accepting those aspects, then there’s a greater prospect of a deal.”
