Trade: Ottawa keeps talking to Washington, but formal negotiations remain on hold

Ottawa and Washington are still talking, but they are no longer formally negotiating. Dominic LeBlanc drew that distinction on September 11 at the Liberal cabinet retreat in Banff. The minister responsible for Canada–U.S. trade said he had maintained contact with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. No meeting in Washington is scheduled. [1]

Dialogue after the breakdown

Intensive summer talks were suspended on August 21. According to The Canadian Press, Mark Carney had criticized last-minute U.S. demands that he said infringed on Canadian sovereignty. The two governments blame each other for the impasse, which was followed by new tariffs and retaliatory measures. [1]

LeBlanc believes maintaining relationships could allow the two sides to seize an opportunity for an agreement. In the QMI account, he points to a possible easing of one obstacle: based on what Greer reportedly told him, protecting the French language and Canadian and Quebec cultures would not constitute a U.S. red line. That remains the Canadian minister’s assessment; it is not a signed compromise. [2]

Conditions for resuming negotiations

That possible opening is not enough, in his view, to justify a rushed return to negotiations. The decisive question remains whether an agreement could serve Canada’s economic interests. At this stage, his comments provide neither a negotiating timetable nor a commitment to lift trade measures. [2]

Preparations are also continuing in Ottawa. On September 4, Global Affairs Canada reported a meeting with economic representatives on support for workers, sectors affected by tariffs and market diversification. The government presents these efforts as complementary to its pursuit of a more stable relationship with the United States. [3]

For the businesses concerned, the distinction between continued contact and an actual agreement remains essential. The former shows that a diplomatic channel is available, but does not itself change trading conditions. The next observable milestone would be an announcement of formal talks, followed by specific measures agreed upon by the two countries. [2]