In a much-anticipated White House session, U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney concluded Tuesday's talks without a concrete tariff deal. Local media described the meeting as substantive, but a full resolution on steel, aluminum and energy duties remains off the table.
Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who stayed in Washington to press on with negotiations, called the discussions "successful, positive and substantive," though details were scarce. The stakes are high for industries ranging from auto manufacturing and forestry to emerging energy exports.
Trump underscored the stakes by labeling Canada an economic competitor with a "natural conflict" over manufacturing imports. Rejecting a tariff-free path, he stated bluntly, "We are going to have tariffs," emphasizing a shift toward U.S. production of cars and steel.
Political pressure is ramping up in Canada. Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged Carney to retaliate with tariffs of his own if talks fail to yield results soon, while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre lamented, "Still no deal, still no victory."
As negotiations continue, global investors and cross-border businesses will be watching the next moves closely. For now, the tariff tug-of-war shows no signs of slowing down.
Reference(s):
Tariff deal remains elusive after Trump's meeting with Canadian PM
cgtn.com
