OTTAWA -- Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met on Sunday, days ahead of the latest tariff threat from the American president. LeBlanc and Canada’s chief trade negotiator, Janice Charette, spent the weekend in Washington, D.C., after meetings last week. A short statement on Sunday evening from a spokesperson for LeBlanc said the one-hour meeting, which was virtual, involved LeBlanc, Greer and Charette and was “constructive.” “They took stock of the work that has been done by their respective negotiating teams, and discussions are continuing,” the spokesperson said. Talks have intensified in recent weeks since U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to impose 50 per cent tariffs on Aug. 19 that would apply to a variety of goods from cement to hockey sticks. The Americans said the new levies were a response to provincial bans on U.S. liquor, the supply-managed dairy system and quotas on some U.S. vehicles. LeBlanc’s office said Sunday’s meeting came after days of detailed technical discussions between Charette and her counterpart. “The meeting will be an opportunity to take stock of the work that has been accomplished by their respective negotiating teams, and the work that still lies ahead, as we seek to reach a comprehensive deal that delivers for businesses, workers, farmers and families on both sides of the border,” Gabriel Brunet, a spokesperson for LeBlanc, said in a statement before the meeting. The meeting took place virtually because Sunday was Greer’s birthday. It marked the fifth meeting between the two since Trump’s tariff threat. On Friday, Greer said the talks have been constructive but insisted Canada must lift its retaliatory measures to avoid the new tariffs. He said the U.S. has had major trade issues with Canada for decades. Provinces and territories pulled American alcohol off the shelves in response to Trump’s tariffs in early 2025. Alberta and Saskatchewan have since reversed course, but the U.S. negotiators have made it clear they want the rest of the country to follow suit. Last week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford -- who had been a staunch supporter of the alcohol ban -- said he was open to selling U.S. booze again in the province if that was part of a larger deal that protects Canadian sectors already subject to tariffs. On Friday, LeBlanc updated the provincial and territorial trade ministers along with the prime minister’s advisory committee on Canada-U.S. economic relations about the talks. Quebec Economy Minister Bernard Drainville said after that meeting that the two sides appeared to be far from an agreement. Erin O’Toole, a member of the advisory committee, said Friday the Canadian government is preparing a response to the 50 per cent tariffs, should they come into effect on Wednesday. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he thinks there’s “no reason” Prime Minister Mark Carney can’t get “a great deal on Wednesday,” adding that Carney promised to get an agreement with Trump during the last election. “No more concessions while getting nothing in return. We have to stand up and fight for our country,” Poilievre said at a press conference in Vancouver on Sunday.
