Prime Minister Mark Carney says the U.S. and Canada will be working in the coming weeks to deliver a “mutually beneficial” trade deal after a conversation with President Donald Trump.
Carney confirmed the chat between the two world leaders in a post on social media Sunday.
“This builds on our recent constructive discussions on the outlines of a mutually beneficial trade deal that would create jobs for our workers, boost affordability for families, and fully respect Canada’s languages, culture, and sovereignty,” Carney said.
“Our teams will now be working in the coming weeks to deliver that outcome.”
While the comments are the latest signal a trade deal could still occur, it also appears to suggest an agreement won’t be reached before the U.S. midterms on Tuesday.
The prime minister’s comments come after he told reporters Wednesday that the federal government was “not at that position right now” in terms of reaching a trade deal.
Asked by reporters Wednesday why he was willing to entertain a deal before the midterms — and whether Canada was being set up to be the “fall guys” by the U.S. administration if it loses — Carney said they’re after the right deal.
Last Monday, Global News reported that the once-stalled talks between the two countries were “moving quickly” at the political level, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
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Canada walked away from talks with the U.S. in August, with Carney saying the U.S. had made a last-minute push for language that would limit Canada’s ability to enter trade deals with other countries, water down French language requirements, and hurt the country’s struggling auto industry.
The break down in talks led to Trump’s previously threatened 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods to take effect, with Canada responding with dollar-for-dollar retaliatory duties.
Trump previously commented on Canada during a campaign rally on Thursday in South Carolina for the Republican senate candidate. He suggested Canada had been “treating us extremely nicely recently,” adding his tariffs on their northern neighbours had the effect of improving relations.
The president has yet to comment Sunday in relation to Carney’s comments.
Talks of a potential trade deal also come days before the federal government is set to announce its latest budget on Thursday.
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