It remains to be seen whether Canada and the U.S. will agree to a trade deal before U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping 50 per cent tariffs hit on Aug. 19, Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Thursday.
“With respect to a deal, we’re interested in a more comprehensive deal, more global deal that addresses the strategic sectors,” Carney told reporters in Quebec on Thursday.
Ottawa is seeking a “win-win deal” that includes steel, aluminum, forestry and automobile sectors, he said.
“Will we get all of that by the 19th of August? We’ll see. But we want to have pathways in order to get that,” he added.
Last month, Trump vowed to impose 50 per cent tariffs on the vast majority of Canadian goods in response to “discriminatory” measures, including provincial boycotts of American booze. Those measures are set to go into effect on Aug. 19.
Ottawa’s negotiating team has been advocating for Canada’s forest sector at the table with Washington, Carney said.
“We bring up the forest sector every time we discuss with the United States,” he said.
Canada’s approach for a deal includes discussions on all sectors, not just on a few specific sectors, he added.
“There are many things that the Americans want from Canada. They say they don’t want them, but they do want them. It’s critical minerals. It’s aluminum. And for us, it’s all connected. We’re one country. We care about all these sectors,” Carney said.
Following Carney’s remarks, Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said he and chief trade negotiator Janice Charette held a “constructive and detailed meeting” with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington on Thursday. It marked LeBlanc’s second trip to the U.S. capital since Trump issued his latest tariff threat.
“Our focus has been and will continue to be on striking a comprehensive deal that addresses sectoral tariffs and benefits Canadian workers, farmers and businesses,” LeBlanc posted on X.
Carney’s comments and the meeting in Washington came a day after Trump, speaking at an economic policy event in Las Vegas, called Canada “nasty.”
“Canada’s nasty. They are. They’re nasty,” Trump said. “I love the people, but they’re nasty. Nasty leadership.”
Asked about those remarks Thursday, Carney acknowledged the trade negotiations with the U.S. were difficult.
“Yes, it’s a tough negotiation. You can change the adjective and say ‘nasty,’ but for Canada it’s a question of Canadian jobs, it’s a question of the future of Canadian enterprises,” Carney said.
Trump last month signed three executive orders, each one using a different justification for the new tariff: the provincial and territorial boycotts on American alcohol products, Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S.-made vehicles and auto parts and quotas on American dairy imports under Canada’s supply management system.
Carney said in French on Thursday his government remains “loyal” to supply management.
“I’ve been clear since the start of my campaign for the Liberal leadership … because I believe in supply management. It’s important to stabilize prices for Canadian consumers and protect a way of life for small farms,” Carney said.
Carney has meanwhile deferred to the provinces on whether to keep or drop their boycotts of U.S. alcohol in order to avoid Trump’s tariffs.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and B.C. Premier David Eby, among others, have said they have no intention to back down and have called for retaliatory measures like dollar-for-dollar tariffs and threatening to withhold energy and critical minerals exports.
At a meeting with Canada’s premiers last month, Carney said retaliation remained a possibility but declined to specify exactly what the “full range” of available options are.
“We don’t need to respond in advance,” he told reporters at the time. “In fact, I think it would be counterproductive at this stage to respond in advance. But it’s important to know what your options are.”
He added that he and the premiers had discussed potential options, which would need approval from provinces and territories as some would be “directly” impacted.
At a news conference in St. John’s, Nfld., Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticized Carney for not yet securing a deal with the Americans.
“He promised he would have a deal by July 21, 2025. He promised he would have elbows up. He promised he’d negotiate a win. Still no win. Still no deal. Still no elbows, a year and a half later,” Poilievre said.
“I don’t understand the strategy of making concession after concession after concession before even getting to the negotiating table.”
Poilievre specifically pointed to the government abandoning its digital service tax, agreeing to boost military spending and removing counter tariffs on the United States.
“Many of these things were going to have to happen,” Poilievre continued.
“But why not bring them to the bargaining table and get something in return for them, rather than making every concession and then showing up empty-handed and in a position of weakness when we bargain?”
—With files from the Canadian Press and Reuters
Based on reporting by Global News.