‘We have more work to do’, says Canada negotiator as US trade deadline looms
Canada-US trade minister Dominic LeBlanc stated that negotiators "have more work to do" as he left a meeting with US counterparts ahead of a midnight deadline to finalize a tentative trade deal with the Trump administration.
"We’re going to continue working up until the last minute," he informed reporters in Washington on Friday evening. "Our job is not finished."
Negotiators face a strict Friday night deadline to reach an agreement or risk a new wave of US tariffs on Canadian goods.
LeBlanc spent eight hours in meetings with US trade representative Jamieson Greer and other negotiators—one of the longest sessions yet as talks draw to a close.
President Donald Trump, hours before the deadline, neither confirmed nor denied a definitive deal but expressed optimism: "We should be able to have a deal with Canada. We’re also starting on a new deal with Mexico. A much better deal for the United States."
The full details of the proposed agreement remain confidential, though leaks suggest the US will agree to reduce tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum from 50% to 25%, and automotive tariffs from 25% to 15%. In exchange, Canada is reportedly considering expanded American dairy market access and the removal of its retaliatory tariffs.
Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre criticized any deal with "one-sided" tariffs on Canadian industry, calling it a "bad deal."
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew criticized the potential agreement, referring to Trump as a "bad person" and advocating for Canada to "fight" rather than make concessions. However, other provincial leaders, such as Quebec’s Christine Fréchette (whose province is home to a large dairy industry) and Ontario’s Doug Ford, have yet to comment publicly.
Premiers from Nova Scotia and the Yukon territory expressed readiness to restore US alcohol sales, a key concession that could facilitate a deal.
