The latest on trade negotiations between Canada and the United States

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6:45 p.m

Dominic LeBlanc, the Canada-U.S. trade minister, says he’s back in Ottawa after weeks of negotiations with Washington.

LeBlanc is describing the tariff talks as intensive.

He says he also participated in a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney and other premiers today.

He says the leaders were given an update on next steps, and that Canada would continue to support its workers and diversify its international partnerships.

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5:10 pm

The premier of Northwest Territories says the North is ready to create jobs, strengthen Canadian supply chains, open new markets and make Canada more self-reliant.

R.J. Simpson says Canada tried to negotiate with the U.S. government in good faith, and the prime minister was right to walk away from trade talks rather than accept a deal at any cost.

Simpson says Canada can build its economic strength at home and N.W.T. is a big part of the nation-building work that’s coming.

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1:40 p.m.  

Prime Minister Mark Carney says a virtual meeting with him and other premiers today saw him highlighting the importance of interprovincial collaboration amid the trade war.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says that there was a strong sense of unity during the meeting, and his government is behind Canada’s retaliatory measures beginning next month.

British Columbia Premier David Eby says the U.S. government cannot expect a positive relationship with Canada while attacking the land of the maple leaf.

The premier of Saskatchewan, Scott Moe, says he is behind Carney’s upcoming retaliatory tariffs.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she is disappointed trade talks have collapsed.

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12:45 p.m.

Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette says the new 50 per cent tariffs imposed by the United States government will affect $7.7 billion of goods from her province.

She says that doesn’t include tariffs already in place on aluminum, steel, lumber or softwood.

The premier says Quebec has been the hardest hit by the ongoing trade war with the U.S., and she vowed to protect the province’s workers.

She says she will keep American liquor products off Quebec shelves for as long as the U.S. wages the war.

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12:20 p.m.  

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on his counterparts across the country to stick together in the face of tariffs imposed by the United States government.

Ford says all premiers must stand together for Team Canada, and he says there cannot be an outlier.

He gave Prime Minister Mark Carney credit for standing up for Canada by standing up to U.S. President Trump.

Ford says employers, workers and unions in Ontario’s steel and auto sectors agree the U.S. government had put forth a bad deal.

He says U.S. President Trump is the type of person who would steal someone’s lunch money, toque and running shoes and he cannot be trusted.

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11:41 a.m.

Prime Minister Mark Carney mentioned a new energy agreement in eastern Canada several times as he spoke about trade relations with the United States.

Carney says the tentative agreement between hydro utilities in Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec is an example of leaders working together for Canada.

He says his government is working to shore up Canadian energy supplies and he is asking premiers to work together in the face of tariffs imposed by the U.S. government.

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11:30 a.m.

Prime Minister Mark Carney says the United States tried to restrict Canada’s ability to strike new trade deals.

Carney says the move was part of several last-minute demands and changes made by the United States as the countries tried unsuccessfully to negotiate a trade deal. He says the U.S. also tried to restrict Canadian protections of the French language.

Carney says the requests were unacceptable.

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11:20 a.m.

Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada will match the United States’ trade tariffs dollar for dollar.

He says the retaliatory tariffs will come into effect next month, on Tuesday, Sept. 8, the day after Labour Day.

Carney says the tariffs will concentrate on key sectors, including steel, dairy, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper and electronics.

Carney says Canada fought hard to strike a fair deal with the United States.

He says negotiators had made progress, but the U.S. government proposed new, unfair terms that undermined Canada.

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11:06 a.m.

Prime Minister Mark Carney says at press conference that he walked away from a bad trade deal with the United States government.

He says his government worked in good faith to negotiate a deal and took every opportunity to reach a fair agreement that respects Canadian sovereignty.

Carney says Americans and Canadians want the relationship between the countries to work.

He accused the United States government of pursuing short-term transactions over long-term partnerships.

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11 a.m.

The Canadian American Business Council is urging Canada and the United States to resume negotiations. The council says the breakdown of talks should not be the end of the end of the countries’ trade discussions. The group says the costs imposed by tariffs will ripple through supply chains and raise prices in both countries.

The council says this will also discourage investment and slow economic growth in Canada and the United States, putting many jobs at risk.  

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10:25 a.m.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture says tariffs could disrupt supply chains, make food more expensive and undermine farming businesses on both sides of the border.

It says producers in both countries need efficient cross-border trade to compete in global markets.

The group is urging leaders in Canada and the United States to go back to the negotiating table and come up with a swift resolution that protects the competitiveness of the North American agricultural sector.

The federation says leaders must work to protect farmers, agricultural supply and food affordability. 

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10:17 a.m.

The Canadian Media Producers Association says the Online Streaming Act must be defended.

President Reynolds Mastin says global platforms making money from Canadian stories must play by Canadian rules and contribute to its production sector.

Mastin says the federal government stood up for Canada when it refused to agree to an inequitable trade deal with the United States.

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10 a.m.  

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says his party is disappointed that the United States has chosen to impose further unjustified tariffs on Canada.

Poilievre says Canadians must be united to defend the country against what he says are unfair attacks against jobs and businesses.

He says Conservatives support action to protect Canadians.

Poilievre says he hopes to speak with Prime Minister Mark Carney today about how to best support Canadian workers and businesses.

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9:55 a.m.

Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says the failed negotiations with the United States show Canada cannot trust or rely on its southern neighbour as it once did.

Houston says he stands with Prime Minister Mark Carney and he will work with Carney’s government to protect Canadian and Nova Scotian employees, businesses and families from tariffs imposed by the U.S.

The premier says he focused on developing Nova Scotia’s energy and natural resources and finding new markets for Nova Scotian goods and services.

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9:45 a.m.

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham offered Prime Minister Mark Carney his full support.

Wakeham thanked Canadian negotiators for their hard work bargaining with what he described as an unpredictable partner.

The premier says Newfoundland and Labrador stands with Team Canada and is ready to do its part.

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9:45 a.m.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to speak to reporters this morning after a last-ditch effort to reach a new trade deal before a midnight tariff deadline failed Friday.

A press conference is scheduled to take place on Parliament Hill at around 11 a.m.

Carney has since suspended talks with the United States and summoned his negotiators back to Ottawa.

The decision meant new 50 per cent tariffs on billions of dollars in Canadian exports to the U.S. took effect at 12:01 a.m., and Carney vowed Canada would retaliate with equal measures of its own.  

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9:39 a.m.  

Andrea Horwath, mayor of Hamilton, Ont., says the breakdown of tariff negotiations is extremely concerning.

She says Hamilton is a steel and manufacturing city with a large agricultural sector, and the uncertainty ahead will be stressful for many of its residents. Horwath called on federal and provincial leaders to stand behind Canadian workers and industries.

She says Prime Minister Mark Carney is fighting for the country’s economic future.

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9:30 a.m.  

The premier of Quebec is calling on Canada to help businesses and workers in her province affected by the tariffs imposed by the United States government.

In a statement, Christine Fréchette says she is convening her cabinet this morning to implement measures to help affected businesses and workers.

She says the tariffs are hitting businesses in every region of Quebec.

Fréchette says her priority is to defend Quebec’s interests and protect its economy.  

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9:15 a.m.  

Federal NDP Leader Avi Lewis says Prime Minister Mark Carney was right to walk away from trade talks with United States President Donald Trump.

He says Carney correctly read the room when he rejected the U.S. government’s offer.

Lewis says Carney would have locked in destructive tariffs and undermined Canada’s ability to regulate big tech companies if he had taken the American government’s offer.

He says Trump is weak and cannot be trusted to abide by any agreement.

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7:30 a.m.

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt is calling on people in her province to double down on their efforts to buy local and support local producers. 

Holt says some businesses have now been hit with the steep new tariffs, which she described as unjustified. 

She says the tariffs will hurt families, jobs and her province’s economy.

In a statement, Holt says she stands with Team Canada as the country fights for a fair deal.

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7: 30 a.m.

Prince Edward Island Premier Rob Lantz called on leaders to hold fast to the Team Canada approach to tariffs.

Lantz vowed in a social media post to keep working with premiers and the Canadian government to stand up for Canadian interests.

He said he will make sure P.E.I. has a strong voice in the next steps, and he vowed to stand with Island workers, businesses and exporters. 

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12:55 a.m.  Chris Swonger, chief executive of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, applauded what he said was the U.S. government’s recognition that American distillers have been unfairly targeted by sales bans in Canada.

Swonger says Canadian provinces’ decisions to stop buying or selling U.S. booze has harmed the American industry.

He encouraged leaders in Canada and the U.S. to keep negotiating and find an agreement that will put U.S. liquor back on Canadian shelves.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 22, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press