U.S. and Canada Discuss Steel, Auto Tariff Relief

The United States and Canada are in renewed discussions about easing U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and automobiles, but neither government has announced an agreement and the talks’ timing remains uncertain ahead of the November 3 U.S. midterm elections. Six sources briefed on the discussions, four Canadian and two U.S., described work on possible tariff relief. Their account indicates that the discussions involve duties imposed under Section 232 of U.S. trade law. U.S. sources said Washington wants further concessions from Canada, while one Canadian source considered an agreement before the election possible. The accounts trace to the same group of sources, rather than independent confirmation. White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said the talks were gathering steam and that a deal was very close. President Donald Trump also expressed confidence that an agreement could come before the election, while saying negotiations might instead take months. Those assessments contrast with reporting that Canadian officials do not expect a deal by November 3 and with doubts among sources close to the discussions about how advanced they are. The talks appear to...