Trump Signals Expectation of Canada-U.S. Trade Deal Within Weeks
Trump set a three-to-four-week expectation for renewed Canadian outreach, but negotiations remain frozen as new import restrictions approach.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sept. 28 that he expected Canada to contact the United States within three or four weeks and that the two countries would reach what he described as a fair trade deal. Speaking before planned U.S. import bans were due to begin, Trump framed a prospective agreement as requiring an apology from Canada and said the United States would prevail in the negotiations. [1]
The comments introduce a public timetable for possible renewed engagement after bilateral talks collapsed in late August. The two governments have each said the other side inserted last-minute changes into the proposed deal, while Prime Minister Mark Carney has said U.S. demands sought limits on Canada’s capacity to make other trade agreements and on Canadian language and cultural protections. [1]
The prospective outreach comes as U.S. restrictions affecting selected Canadian alcoholic drinks, dairy byproducts and motorcycles were scheduled to take effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Sept. 29. BMO estimated the value of exports covered by those bans at about US$1 billion. Canada’s trade minister’s office said Ottawa was taking note of the previously announced measures and remained focused on protecting Canadian workers, farmers, families and businesses, as well as diversifying external partnerships. [1]
The trade dispute remains broader than the targeted bans. The United States has imposed 50% tariffs on an array of Canadian goods under Section 338 after negotiations froze, while Canada subsequently imposed tariffs of its own. Canada also faces 10% U.S. duties tied by the administration to forced-labour supply-chain concerns, although CUSMA-compliant goods are excluded; separate U.S. sectoral tariffs continue to affect industries including steel, aluminum and automobiles. [1]
For businesses, Trump’s remarks are a negotiating signal rather than an agreement or a rollback of existing measures. A Cato Institute trade-policy analyst said the use of import bans and the Depression-era statute behind the tariffs indicated worsening bilateral relations, while also arguing that a settlement would likely require concessions that both governments have publicly resisted. The analyst said the status quo could therefore persist despite the two countries’ highly integrated market. [1]
This is a modest negotiation development: Trump publicly attached a three-to-four-week expectation to Canadian contact and a potential deal, giving firms a near-term political signal without creating a binding agreement, tariff change or removal of import restrictions. Exposure remains greatest for products covered by the impending bans and existing tariffs, but the source provides no confirmed de-escalation or operational relief. [1]