Canada and the United States are not ready to close a trade deal that would put an end to the 50% tariffs imposed by the Americans, two sources revealed to CBC. Canadians were dissatisfied with the latest American proposal, which provided for a reduction in some sectoral tariffs, but not to the magnitude desired by Ottawa.
Canada rejects US proposal for trade agreement and Canadians call for expulsion of ambassador
Canada and the United States are not ready to close a trade deal that would put an end to the 50% tariffs imposed by the Americans, two sources revealed to CBC. Canadians were dissatisfied with the latest American proposal, which provided...
The impasse comes as negotiators try to speed up an agreement before US President Donald Trump's August 19 deadline for the tariffs to come into effect. The 50% rate would be added to other rates already in effect for certain Canadian goods.
- Previously, the expectation was that a deal would be reached and announced on Monday, a day before Trump's deadline, according to the Canadian newspaper.
- According to CBC, the Americans are seeking an agreement that would give the US preferential access to critical Canadian minerals, in addition to demands related to security and energy.
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The impasse comes as negotiators try to speed up an agreement before US President Donald Trump's August 19 deadline for the tariffs to come into effect. The 50% rate would be added to other rates already in effect for certain Canadian goods. Previously, the expectation was that a deal would be reached and announced on Monday, a day before Trump's deadline, according to the Canadian newspaper.
According to CBC, the Americans are seeking an agreement that would give the US preferential access to critical Canadian minerals, in addition to demands related to security and energy. Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc has been to Washington three times in recent weeks to negotiate with US Trade Representative (USTR), Jamieson Greer.
According to Canadian media, the country was preparing to ease some trade restrictions on US products, in return for reducing US tariffs. This Wednesday, The Globe and Mail revealed that Ottawa was even considering accepting US tax rates on automobiles within the limits determined by USMCA rules and exempting values ??relating to American content in the composition of vehicles exported by Canada.
There was also growing doubt among Canadian negotiators whether any trade agreement with the US would be accepted by the Canadian population, increasingly upset by the actions of its North American neighbor.
According to the BBC, more than 60,000 Canadians have called for the US ambassador in Ottawa, Pete Hoekstra, to be expelled for undermining bilateral diplomatic relations and intervening in Canada's political discourse to "normalize" the Trump administration's threats to annex the country as the US's 51st state.
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