Carney and Trump near deal
Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney said he had a “good conversation” with U.S. President Donald Trump about the future of Canada-U.S. trade.
Carney said the discussion was based on “recent constructive discussions” on the broad outlines of a mutually beneficial trade agreement.
Carney said teams from both countries would work in the coming weeks to achieve the objective of a trade deal that would create jobs for workers and fully respect Canada’s languages, culture, and sovereignty.
Donald Trump told reporters that the two countries had “the outline of a very good understanding with Canada” as he addressed the issue in Iowa ahead of the November 3 U.S. midterm elections.
Tariffs, elections, and pressure
The Al Jazeera report said the Sunday announcement came two days before the November 3 U.S. midterm elections that would determine control of the U.S. Congress.
The Al Jazeera report said Canada and the United States had imposed billions of dollars in tariffs on each other’s goods in recent months, and it said Trump imposed a 50 percent levy on $20bn of Canadian goods.
A mutually beneficial trade agreement would create jobs for our workers, improve affordability for families, and fully respect Canada’s languages, culture, and sovereignty.
Donald Trump argued in Iowa that the two countries were very close to concluding a trade agreement, while a Canadian source familiar with the discussions did not think an agreement would be possible by Election Day.
What comes next for talks
Official negotiations had stalled on August 21, when the Canadian delegation walked away after last-minute changes to the conditions proposed by the United States were deemed unfair by Mark Carney. The Trump administration announced on October 23 that it would remove tariffs on certain Canadian products, notably plywood sheets, some paper products, and machinery.
Trump told reporters that the agreement would be suitable for Canada and that it would also be wonderful for his farmers, while Carney had reported on X that he had a good conversation with Trump. The Canadian prime minister’s office told CTV News that the exchange took place on Saturday, and Noovo Info said Carney’s team and Trump’s team would work in the coming weeks to reach the outcome.
