OTTAWA -- Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are set to meet at 4:30 p.m. ET.
LeBlanc’s office says the meeting will allow the two senior negotiators to review what has been accomplished in the last few days, and to follow up on the technical work that’s been done by Canada’s Chief Trade Negotiator Janice Charette with her U.S. counterpart Jeff Goettman.
Today’s conversation will be the first meeting between LeBlanc and Greer since Thursday’s face-to-face in the U.S. capital.
For weeks, Canada and the U.S. have been trying to hammer out a deal that would avoid new tariffs from Washington on Canadian goods.
A new 50 per cent tariff that would be applied on a wide range of Canadian exports, valued to be around $28 billion.
LeBlanc and Charette have spent the weekend in Washington to work out details, and sources briefed on the negotiations say the two sides remain far apart.
The U.S. President Donald Trump is demanding greater access to Canada’s dairy market, a return of U.S. alcohol to Canadian store shelves, and an end to counter-tariffs Canada has applied on American vehicles that are not CUSMA compliant.
But before addressing those concerns, Canada is looking for relief on U.S. sectoral tariffs that have hurt Canada’s steel, aluminum, automotive, and lumber industries.
Greer is celebrating his birthday today, but he’s carving out time for today’s meeting, which is why the meeting is virtual.
There’s no word on a media availability or update after today’s meeting.
