Murray Wood: Who's hot... and who's not
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Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Canada’s chief negotiator Janice Charette are set to meet with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington this morning as the clock ticks down on the latest tariff deadline.
Initially LeBlanc’s office said the meeting was to begin at 10:30 a.m. but the start time was later pushed back an hour and is now set to start at 11:30 a.m.
Read more:
- Carney nearly begged premiers to put U.S. booze back on shelves to secure deal: Kinew
- LeBlanc returning to Washington to meet with Greer, continue deal finalization
- Carney says trade deal with U.S. ‘reinforces that Canadian advantage’
U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat on $28 billion worth of Canadian goods is set to take effect just after midnight, unless officials are able to finalize a trade agreement.
In July, Trump said he would impose a new 50 per cent tariff on a wide range of Canadians goods in retaliation for Canada’s booze bans, auto tariffs and quotas on tariff-free access for U.S. dairy.
They were set to come into effect just after midnight Wednesday, but that deadline was pushed back until Saturday to allow time to turn the agreed-upon deal into a legal agreement.
Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Canada’s chief negotiator Janice Charette have met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington several times this month to hammer out the deal.
LeBlanc told reporters on Thursday that the two sides were “very close” to a deal. The content of that agreement, however, has not been shared publicly.
The agreement is expected to address U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum, lumber and autos. It’s also expect to address some U.S. concerns about limited access to Canada’s dairy market, as well as Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on autos and provincial bans on U.S. alcohol imports.
“Canadians expect us to get a deal that’s in the economic interest of Canada and Canadian workers,” LeBlanc said as he left Greer’s office Thursday.
Canada’s premiers have said that in a briefing from Prime Minister Mark Carney, the prime minister asked them to put U.S. booze back on the shelves as part of the deal. Many said Thursday they were open to ending their provincial bans.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has yet to comment publicly on the latest proposal, while Quebec Premier Christine Frechette said Thursday after a call with Carney that she’s weighing how the deal could play out for her province.
Unlike other tariffs, the duties that are on pause would affect goods that are compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade.
The tariffs would be placed on a wide variety of goods from hockey sticks and honey to concrete and plywood.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2026.
