LeBlanc says no meetings scheduled with U.S. while Mexico works towards a deal

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OTTAWA — Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said there are no meetings scheduled in Washington, even as Mexico and the United States are reportedly working towards a completed bilateral deal by November.

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“They’ve been at this for a number of months, and speeding towards a deal two months from now doesn’t feel like speed,” said LeBlanc, during a cabinet retreat in Banff, Alta., on Friday. “But they are having those conversations as we did, as we may again at some point.”

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Reuters reported on Friday that Mexican and American negotiators are working towards a bilateral trade agreement before the U.S. midterms on Nov. 3.

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LeBlanc said he has been in touch with United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick recently. The minister said he had reached out to Lutnick to offer his thoughts for him and his family during the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

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LeBlanc said he was encouraged by recent comments made by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum last week that all three countries should be at the negotiating table for the renewal of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). The U.S. declined to renew the trade pact in July, which means all three parties are now subject to mandatory annual reviews.

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The trade conflict between the U.S. and Canada has intensified in recent weeks, following the collapse in trade negotiations between both sides last month. U.S. President Donald Trump then imposed a 50 per-cent tariff on nearly $28 billion worth of Canadian goods, with Canada matching those tariffs, imposing levies ranging from 15 to 50 per cent on $27.6 billion worth of U.S. imports this week.

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The U.S. tariffs represent about five per cent of Canadian exports to the U.S.

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On Tuesday, Trump announced he would impose import bans on some Canadian alcohol products, dairy products and motorcycles, effective Sept. 29. Trump also removed items from the Section 338 tariff list, like cement, road salt, and added new items.

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Economists have said the impact from the bans will be minimal on the Canadian economy.

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Carney said Thursday evening that Trump’s import bans and changes to Section 338 tariffs were “relatively modest” compared to the president’s previous trade actions. He added that his government was still studying Trump’s latest trade announcement and would not confirm whether he plans to retaliate.

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Risks also remain that Trump could escalate further. The president has threatened to ban aerospace company Bombardier from selling in the U.S. and intends to impose a 50 per-cent tariff on Canadian autos and trucks on Jan. 1, 2027.

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Carney has said Canada’s red lines in relation to negotiations with the Americans remain, including protections of the French language and its sovereignty.

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Lutnick and Greer have disputed that the French language was ever a red line for American negotiators.

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LeBlanc was asked if that means Canada can return to the negotiating table given the French language is no longer an issue in trade discussions. The minister reiterated that he would be pleased to set aside the matter, should negotiations resume.

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National Post

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