Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday that Canada was not positioned to reach a U.S. trade deal before the Nov. 3 midterms, while Global News reported formal negotiations between trade officials had not begun.
At Wednesday’s Liberal caucus meeting on Parliament Hill, Carney said Ottawa would pursue terms serving Canadian interests and benefiting the United States. In remarks recorded by CPAC, he said Canada wanted “the right deal for Canadians.” The position follows Canada’s earlier public stance that any agreement should work for both sides, as EconoTimes reported in its coverage of Canada’s trade-deal timing.
Global News reported that discussions were taking place at the political level, with Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc leading Canada’s side. The outlet said trade negotiators had yet to hold formal talks, citing comments from chief negotiator Janice Charette. Sources who spoke anonymously to Global News questioned whether a deal would be reached before the election.
The Canadian Press separately reported that trade contacts had intensified, while saying Canada characterized progress as limited. The reports offered different assessments of the pace of engagement. Neither described a completed agreement.
In an Aug. 22 official statement, Carney said Ottawa had suspended negotiations after Washington proposed terms Canada could not accept. He cited concerns about Canadian sovereignty, key industries, and French language and culture. Carney also said Canada’s retaliatory tariffs could raise costs and narrow choices for Canadians. He said, “We cannot accept what they have offered, and we will not give what they have asked.”
The campaign of Mike Rogers, Michigan’s Republican Senate nominee, published an ad calling for an end to the trade war. Global News reported that tariffs were a sticking point for some Republican candidates.
The U.S. midterm election on Nov. 3 is the next dated event cited in the reports. Global News gave no date for formal negotiations to resume.
