Canada, U.S. Seek Trade Deal Ahead of August 19 Tariffs
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Canada’s minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade relations, Dominic LeBlanc, met with U.S. officials in Washington late this week as the two countries seek an agreement before additional 50% U.S. tariffs on certain Canadian goods take effect on August 19.
According to Reuters, the talks are focused on several outstanding trade disputes, including autos, dairy products and alcoholic beverages, in exchange for possible U.S. relief from tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum.
Options under discussion include Canada removing tariffs on U.S. vehicles, reaching an understanding over the allocation of dairy import quotas, and working to return American alcoholic beverages to stores in major Canadian provinces.
In return, Washington is considering reducing existing tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, two sectors that have been heavily affected by the trade dispute.
Alcohol remains a more complicated issue because its sale and distribution largely fall under provincial jurisdiction, meaning Ottawa would need cooperation from the provinces to implement any agreement in that area.
Canada is seeking to avoid the new tariffs scheduled for August 19 while reducing existing pressure on key Canadian exports. The two sides have not announced a final agreement.
