U.S. and Canada spoke within past few days about potential trade deal, Greer says

Canada and the U.S. have spoken “within the past few days” in an effort to work towards a mutually beneficial trade deal, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told CNBC on Thursday.

Greer said U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney speak regularly. He declined to share a timeline on negotiations, saying “the substance of the deal is more important than a timeline.”

His comments follow recent predictions from U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra that a trade deal could be reached before the end of 2026.

Greer said Canada “would love to go back to how things used to be, where there’s just unfettered free trade between our two countries,” but the U.S. is working on a deal to protect the country’s supply chains. “But we certainly are working on it,” he confirmed.

U.S. midterms and tariffs

Greer said he and Trump are “going to keep taking trade actions as necessary.” He said gas, oil and the “vast amount” of food is not subject to tariffs.

“What I hear from the other side, is some people characterize some of the tariffs as chaotic or reckless” he said. “Some people want to have more stability with Canada. I just talked to you about working on a deal with Canada. I agree on wanting to have certainty on tariffs.”

Greer blamed Democrat attorney generals attempting to overturn tariffs as preventing the U.S. from having “more of that stability.”

The Trump administration has faced multiple lawsuits and wide-spread criticism since earlier this year over the president’s imposition of tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union.

Michigan Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, a Democrat, said the tariff war with Canada is “insane” and voiced his willingness to help end the war. After Democrats take control of the House and Senate in January, they could introduce legislation aimed at changing Trump’s tariff policies.

Greer said he looks forward to working with the U.S. Congress on tariffs, despite it now being controlled by Democrats. “To be honest, I think we’ve seen nuanced language from some members up there about tariffs that make sense and that could be helpful,” he said. “So I think there’s room to work with them.”

Why it matters

The talks come as the U.S. Congress shifts to Democratic control in January, which could affect future tariff policy and the path to a Canada-U.S. trade deal.

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Sources

• ctvnews.ca: Canada-U.S. tariffs: Jamieson Greer says sides spoke in past days
• bnnbloomberg.ca: Canada-U.S. tariffs: Jamieson Greer says sides spoke in past days

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.