Carney says Canada-U.S. trade talks have intensified, but no deal is complete
Canada and the United States have exchanged improved trade positions, potentially easing uncertainty while unresolved issues keep businesses awaiting a deal.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Nov. 3 that Canada-U.S. trade negotiations had become more intense after his call with President Donald Trump the previous weekend. He said the parties had made progress but had not completed an agreement, leaving the outcome and timing of any settlement unresolved. [1]
Carney said Canada had removed several issues from its list of negotiating red lines: language, culture and Canada’s ability to negotiate trade arrangements with other markets. He characterized the latest exchange as one in which the United States was seeking less while offering more, without disclosing the terms under discussion. [1]
The comments indicate a resumption of substantive engagement after formal talks were called off in August, when the two sides had been working toward a deal before a further round of U.S. tariffs affecting nearly $28 billion in Canadian goods. Carney said important issues still require progress and did not provide a timetable for the chief negotiator’s return to Washington. He also said progress could be acknowledged publicly without trade negotiators formally entering U.S. trade offices. [1]
Trump separately told Fox News that he expected a Canada deal soon and said Canada would provide fertilizer tariff-free. The report notes, however, that Canada does not impose export tariffs on fertilizer or its components, including potash. [1]
For Canadian exporters and import-dependent businesses, the development may reduce near-term uncertainty around bilateral negotiations, but it does not alter current tariff exposure or establish market-access commitments. Carney’s acknowledgement of progress is not an agreement, and neither side publicly identified the remaining issues or released negotiated text. [1]
The development is significant because it signals more active Canada-U.S. bargaining and changed Canadian negotiating positions after talks were halted in August. Exposure spans sectors affected by the wider trade dispute, but the significance is limited because no agreement, tariff change, implementation date or sector-specific concession was announced. [1]