Canada's top trade negotiators have met with their American counterparts in Washington, according to CBC News, in what officials described as the main event of the trip. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc called the meeting constructive and detailed as the two sides worked through the file.
LeBlanc held a 90-minute meeting with the U.S. Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer. The sit-down marked a substantive round of face-to-face contact between the two governments as negotiations continue.
The talks are unfolding with a clock ticking. They came ahead of an August 19 deadline for a new set of punishing tariffs on a range of Canadian exports, described as running from cement to hockey sticks.
The meeting also comes as Canada tries to renew its free trade agreement with the United States and Mexico. That effort adds a broader backdrop to the immediate fight over the looming tariffs.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he wants any future agreement to cover all sectors. Still, whether there is any deal in sight remains unclear, even after this latest round of negotiations.
The talks are playing out against a backdrop of friction between the two leaders. This week, Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump traded jabs, with Carney mocking Trump on Wednesday when his teleprompter broke, and Trump hitting back more directly during a speech in Las Vegas.
Carney said again that he is personally involved in the negotiations and that he had spoken with Trump as recently as last week. His direct engagement underscores how high the stakes are for Canada as the tariff deadline approaches.