Canada-U.S. trade talks continue as tariff deadline looms

Canadian and U.S. officials continued urgent negotiations Friday, August 21, to finalize a trade agreement just hours before a new 50 percent U.S. tariff on billions of dollars of Canadian goods was set to take effect. With a midnight deadline looming, Canada’s Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc departed the talks in Washington on Friday evening, stating there was "more work to do," while the country’s chief trade negotiator remained at the table. U.S. President Donald Trump indicated a deal was "moving along" but acknowledged details still needed resolution.

The proposed tariffs, set to apply at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, August 22, cover approximately $28 billion worth of Canadian exports, ranging from steel and aluminum to dairy, lumber, and consumer goods like hockey sticks. A three-day pause was granted earlier in the week to allow the agreed-upon terms to be formalized. LeBlanc and chief negotiator Janice Charette met throughout Friday with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, alongside other senior Canadian officials.

Key points of the deal reportedly include the preservation of Canada’s dairy supply management system, which LeBlanc confirmed would remain "entirely intact." In...