Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney described progress after speaking with Donald Trump and said negotiating teams would work on an agreement’s outline in the coming weeks. The contact follows a breakdown in talks and reciprocal trade measures. No completed agreement or immediate tariff change was announced, with US midterm elections approaching.
Canada’s Mark Carney said he had discussed trade with US President Donald Trump as the two governments continued seeking an agreement. The Canadian prime minister described progress on Sunday following their Saturday conversation. He said negotiating teams would work over the coming weeks on the framework of a possible deal.[1], [2]
Negotiations had broken down in August. Ottawa said US demands endangered Canadian sovereignty, protections for the French language and the automotive sector. Washington then imposed tariffs of 50% on about $20 billion in Canadian products, and Canada responded with its own measures. Steel and automobile trade remain important subjects for the negotiators.[1]
The announcement came before Tuesday’s US midterm elections, with trade tensions attracting attention in border-state Senate races. Michigan Republican candidate Mike Rogers had called for an end to the tariff war. Carney had said on Wednesday that an agreement before the election was out of reach. Neither government announced a finished text or signing schedule after the latest contact.[1]
