LeBlanc says U.S. midterms will not change Canada’s trade focus

Canada’s trade minister Dominic LeBlanc said the U.S. midterm elections would not change Ottawa’s trade agenda or its efforts to work with American counterparts, as Democrats took control of both chambers of Congress. He said Canada would continue to focus on domestic economic priorities and diversifying its trade relationships while engaging with U.S. officials already in office. LeBlanc told reporters that the incoming Congress would not alter the work Canada needed to do in the near term. The current Congress remains in place until January, he said, and Ottawa must continue working with the people Americans have elected. He also declined to interpret what drove the election result. LeBlanc said recent discussions with the U.S. administration had been productive and that he planned to speak with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer over the next few days. He did not describe specific outcomes from the recent talks. Prime Minister Mark Carney said official trade discussions had taken place in recent days. He said work remained to be done and that Washington had dropped some demands. U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States was...