There’s “no urgency” to strike a trade deal with Canada, according to Washington’s trade representative, as Canada continues to supply a variety of key exports to the U.S. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer made the comments to American network CNBC Friday morning when asked about progress toward a deal with Canada. He said U.S. President Donald Trump is “comfortable” with the present situation as the two countries scrap through a protracted trade war. “Our trade policy is a global policy,” he said. “It applies to Canada, China, the U.K., Brazil, all kinds of countries,” he said. While the U.S. does have global tariffs in place – like the so-called Section 232 levies on steel and aluminum, which apply to most countries – it has also imposed country-specific measures, including on Canada. For example, over the summer, Trump announced 50 per cent tariffs on a variety of Canadian goods. He has also struck a number of trade deals that circumvent his global levies, like his accord with the U.K., which adjusts those Section 232 tariffs. Greer said his team is still having “good conversations” with the Canadians even after trade talks broke down in August. Prime Minister Mark Carney pulled his negotiators home from Washington after he said the Americans introduced last-minute, unacceptable terms. The U.S. has blamed Canada for the impasse. On Friday, Greer said, “We gave them a deal, they left.” So far, those good conversations have not resulted in a deal, though Greer said the Trump administration is not in a rush to strike one. “We’re still getting what we need from them in terms of oil, gas, potash,” he told CNBC. “We’re shipping (agriculture) back and forth across the border.” Canada exported US$234-billion worth of goods to the U.S. from January to July this year, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, and imported US$205 billion. In 2024, prior to Trump’s second term, Canada exported US$241 billion during the same period, and imported US$205 billion. “There’s still a lot of strong trade between the two countries. We’re comfortable with where we are,” Greer also said.
