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OTTAWA \u2014 It\u2019s futile to predict how long trade talks with President Donald Trump\u2019s White House might last, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc told the House of Commons trade committee Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n
It was the second committee appearance LeBlanc made that day. He told a Senate foreign affairs committee earlier in the day that Canada is still in discussions on dropping the sector-specific tariffs putting pressure on Canadian industries and he does not see \u201ca dead end in those conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Conservative MP Adam Chambers said LeBlanc\u2019s exchanges with senators made it sound like the government is making no progress with the U.S. on getting tariffs lifted.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re in a really tough spot. You\u2019re negotiating with a country that seems to keep moving the goalposts and your boss keeps making promises that he seems to not be able to deliver upon,\u201d Chambers told LeBlanc.<\/p>\n
\u201cI take from your testimony at the Senate we\u2019re not any closer to a deal with the Americans on sectoral tariffs than we were just a few weeks ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
But LeBlanc, the minister tasked with Canada-U.S. relations, replied to Chambers that his talks with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are \u201cencouraging\u201d and he remains \u201coptimistic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have lost the illusion we should predict, in precise time, when we may get to an agreement,\u201d LeBlanc said.<\/p>\n
The minister told senators he is hoping to make progress on one-off, sector-specific tariff deals with the U.S. before the official review of North America\u2019s trilateral trade pact begins.<\/p>\n
He said the government is looking to \u201cmake progress before\u201d the formal Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement review launches next year. He added that \u201cnobody has yet suggested\u201d Ottawa should fold the sector-specific talks into the broader review.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we\u2019re not making progress and we have to put that into the CUSMA review process \u2026 it would bring more structure perhaps in the sense of the trilateral relationship, technical tables, sectoral conversations. But I\u2019m hoping we can get progress before the review process formally engages,\u201d LeBlanc said. \u201cTime will tell us if my optimism is misplaced.\u201d<\/p>\n
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Thursday that after more than six months in government, Prime Minister Mark Carney has not managed to de-escalate the U.S. tariff war or land concrete wins with other nations on trade.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe goes to Washington, gets wonderful, gushing media coverage. What\u2019s the result? The Americans double tariffs on Canada,\u201d Poilievre told reporters at a news conference held outdoors, behind a building on Parliament Hill.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been a gigantic bait-and-switch. We were sold this brilliant negotiator. Where is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Carney met with Trump at the White House in May. Most of the media attention at that meeting was focused on Trump\u2019s comments about making Canada a U.S. state, something Carney said will never happen.<\/p>\n
Trump doubled his steel and aluminum tariffs to 50 per cent in June.<\/p>\n
The president escalated his trade war again this week, through an executive order adding a 10 per cent tariff on softwood lumber and 25 per cent tariff on wooden furniture.<\/p>\n
LeBlanc acknowledged these new tariffs on derivative steel, aluminum and wood products will \u201cmassively\u201d increase the complexity facing companies.<\/p>\n
He also acknowledged the American side has been citing the supply management system in agriculture as a trade irritant.<\/p>\n
LeBlanc said Ottawa is drawing a line in the sand with the Americans on supply management, both privately and publicly \u2014 although he used much stronger language the day before.<\/p>\n
\u201cSupply management is not a subject of negotiation with the Americans. It will not be, it is not or will never be on a negotiating table as we look at a review of the CUSMA agreement,\u201d LeBlanc told reporters on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
LeBlanc said Canada retains many \u201cleverage points\u201d over the U.S. and that the tariffs will force American industrial giants to pressure Trump as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cA very significant portion of the American importation of aluminum comes from Canada. They\u2019ve added a 50 per cent tariff on it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re the CEO of Ford Motors and all of your F-150 and 250 trucks are made with Canadian aluminum, imported into the manufacturing facilities in the United States, it\u2019s an inflationary pressure on those trucks. That\u2019s just one example amongst others.\u201d<\/p>\n
The U.S. federal government shut down Wednesday, leaving hundreds of thousands of employees on furlough. While many federal offices have shuttered and there\u2019s no compromise in sight to end the impasse, staff at the Office of the United States Trade Representative, who are in the midst of international trade negotiations, will still be required to work.<\/p>\n
According to United States Trade Representative contingency plans, the department \u201cwill continue to perform functions necessary to the discharge of the president\u2019s constitutional duty and power to conduct foreign relations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Canada\u2019s Ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman, who is Canada\u2019s chief negotiator, has been meeting for months with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and his staff to find an off-ramp from Trump\u2019s tariffs for key Canadian sectors.<\/p>\n
LeBlanc said Greer has talked to Canada about the U.S. preparations for the coming CUSMA review and it has not been \u201cinflammatory.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a92025 The Canadian Press<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n