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Prime Minister Mark Carney pushed back on Monday against the idea that Canada is the side giving ground in trade talks with the United States, saying Ottawa has not changed its position at all — and that any progress in the negotiations has come because Washington is moving closer to Canada.
Carney spoke to reporters in Ottawa on Monday, October 26, after his meeting with First Nations leaders and premiers, as Washington was projecting momentum. Over the weekend, White House National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett had said negotiators were very close to a deal easing the tit-for-tat tariffs between the two countries, and President Donald Trump echoed that optimism at a rally in Michigan.
Carney struck a more guarded tone. He acknowledged a slight intensification in the talks, but said there is no change in Canada's position, that Canadian negotiators stand ready to agree to a pact that is fair to Canada, and that a deal is possible so long as the United States moves toward Canada's demands — including tariff relief on steel, aluminum and automobiles. Semafor, citing sources, reported that a deal is likely not as imminent as American officials had suggested.
Carney also cautioned that he cannot guarantee Trump will respect anything they sign. Asked how he knows the president will sign in pen, he answered: "I don't know that." He said Canada is ready to sign an agreement in the interests of Canadians, with clear bottom lines, and that it was not willing to sign what was offered in August — but that to the extent the United States is moving toward accepting those terms, there is a greater prospect of a deal.
The talks collapsed in August, with both sides accusing the other of making last-minute demands. The United States and Canada have since slapped additional duties on each other's products, and Trump has vowed to double the existing tariff on Canadian-made motor vehicles to 50 percent starting January 1. On October 23, Trump removed 50 percent tariffs from selected Canadian agricultural and forestry products effective October 30, while adding other Canadian products to the tariff list.