Carney says Canada, U.S. working in coming weeks towards trade deal
By: fBy Sean Previl - Cahada's Global News
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Carney says Canada, U.S. working in coming weeks towards trade deal
Talks broke down between Canada and the U.S. in August after the prime minister said the U.S. made last minute requests around trade deals and French language requirements.
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."
Trump signaled a deal was near as he spoke with reporters Sunday before a campaign rally he was holding in Iowa.
"We have the concept of a deal that's going to be great for our farmers, great for our country and it will be fine for Canada too," Trump said.
The president told reporters the Keystone XL pipeline was a part of the potential deal. He also claimed there would be "no tariffs" on products like dairy being sent to Canada - an issue that has been a key sticking point in previous talks.
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.
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 Trump Administration welcomes continued engagement with Canada as we work toward finalizing the details of a deal that will deliver meaningful results for the American people," said a White House official on background.
Asked about Carney's statement, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre pushed Carney to "get a great deal."
"It's time for Mr. Carney to put the big talk in the past and deliver real results," Poilievre said Sunday at a news conference.
Talks of a potential trade deal also come days before the federal government is set to announce its latest budget on Thursday.
— with files from Global News' Reggie Cecchini, Alex Boutillier and Mackenzie Gray
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I'm afraid that Carney is not as smart as I had thought. IMO he should never have said those things until after the US midterm elections.
It does seem like he is throwing Trump a little lifeline, but I dont think it will effect the elections which are less than 48 hours away.
It could make a difference in some tight races in northern border States..
Carney is a lot smarter than most people think, you can toss all the quotes from DJT into Mendacity-A-Lago along with Polyester Poilievre's a.k.a Mini-Mike.
I agree he's a lot smarter than most politicians, but I thought that what he did was a bad mistake, and disappointing.
Trump is in his twilight and in dire need of a victory no matter how small. Carney is not the only world leader to have realized this ... by now I am sure most have ... and then in 2-3 days all eyes will turn to 2028.
The next 2 years could well provide numerous Et tu Brutè memes and whatnots.
I'm not sure I understand your comment. Are you saying Carney made that statement because he WANTED to help Trump's minions retain power?