Canada’s Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc held a productive and extended meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington on Tuesday, as confirmed by the minister’s office. This meeting took place amid ongoing trade discussions between the two nations following U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff actions earlier this year.
According to a source from Canada, the originally scheduled one-hour meeting extended to 90 minutes, with a sense of optimism prevailing on the Canadian side post the discussions. Last Friday, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Canada’s decision to remove some retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products to align with American tariff exemptions under the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
While certain Canadian counter-tariffs on steel, aluminum, and automobiles will persist, Trump recently increased tariffs on non-CUSMA-compliant Canadian goods to 35 percent. This move affects various Canadian exports such as softwood lumber, steel, aluminum, and specific auto parts, regardless of their status under the trade agreement.
Accompanying LeBlanc in Washington this week are Marc-André Blanchard, the prime minister’s chief of staff, and Michael Sabia, the clerk of the Privy Council. LeBlanc emphasized that the retaliatory tariffs have been a key point of contention in negotiations, particularly before Trump’s recent decision to raise duties on Canadian imports.
Carney, currently in Riga, Latvia, highlighted the government’s focus on addressing U.S. sectoral tariffs on steel, softwood, aluminum, and autos to improve trade outcomes. He expressed the need for cooperative efforts in other areas to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Carney is also slated to visit Mexico soon to strengthen trade ties amid ongoing tariff challenges from the United States.
Notably, Trump’s tariff actions have impacted both Canada and Mexico, prompting Carney to seek diversified international relations beyond U.S. dependency. During a recent trip to Mexico City, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne initiated efforts to enhance the bilateral economic partnership with Mexico.
Carney’s upcoming visit coincides with an impending review of the CUSMA trade agreement, signed in 2018 and effective since 2020, which is scheduled for evaluation next year.
