Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc says it’s “over-optimistic” to expect a trade deal with the United States in the coming days, noting Canada is making progress but still has work to do to secure a deal.
The report LeBlanc referred to was first published in The Globe and Mail, which cited two anonymous sources familiar with the matter. It said the United States is not ready to make a deal on automobiles or softwood lumber, but that significant progress had been made over the past two weeks in negotiations on steel, aluminum, and energy, and could be ready to finalize.
“Some people are more optimistic than I am, all the better, but I think we have to continue to do the work,” LeBlanc said of the report.
“We’re into a level of detail [in talks] that we hadn’t seen previously, but we still have work to do, and my objective is to continue to do that work until we get to the deal,” he added.
While the sources reportedly said more talks need to take place before a deal is reached, they said the APEC meetings, which begins in South Korea on Oct. 29, could make “all the difference” to a successful deal. Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump will both attend APEC and the source reportedly said the two leaders “are likely to meet on the sidelines.”
LeBlanc noted a specific deadline to complete a deal has not been set, and said Ottawa will continue to work towards getting “the right deal” for Canadians.
“If we set an artificial deadline, it might lead us to a deal that’s not in the best interest of Canadian workers,” he said.
When asked about the potential deal, Carney told reporters in French on Oct. 21 that Canada is in the middle of “intensive negotiations” with the United States. He said the two countries can “improve our trade relations” in the steel, aluminum, and energy sectors, and that he is hopeful progress can also be made in automobiles and softwood lumber.
“We’re in the midst of intensive negotiations,” Carney told reporters. “I will see the U.S. president at APEC. It’s possible [a deal will be made], but we'll see.”
White House Visit
Reports of an imminent trade deal come after Carney visited the White House earlier this month to meet with Trump. While no deal was announced after the October meeting, Trump appeared more positive about such a prospect than he did after the leaders’ first meeting in May.Trump made several comments about a potential breakthrough with Canada, saying Canada would be “very happy” and deals would be made that benefit both countries.
While Trump didn’t comment on what Canada would be giving the United States in return, Carney hinted that Canada could offer investments in the United States as part of a potential deal.
Trump said Canada and the United States are in a “natural conflict” as they compete for the same business, noting it’s “much better and easier” to deal with countries far away.
LeBlanc told reporters after the meeting that “substantial progress” had been made and that he was “happy” with the discussions. LeBlanc said Carney and Trump both directed their officials to “quickly land deals” in the steel, aluminum, and energy sectors.
