Canada still talking trade with U.S. officials despite no meetings: LeBlanc

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc says that while Canada isn’t currently in official trade negotiations with the U.S., officials on both sides are still talking.

LeBlanc is in Banff, Alta, for the two-day Liberal cabinet retreat, where the ongoing trade war with the United States is a key topic.

He says he has no meetings in Washington scheduled but he has spoken several times with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and sometimes speaks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as well.

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LeBlanc says it’s important to be ready for a possible deal that respects Canadian sovereignty and is the country’s national interest.

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U.S. President Donald Trump signed new orders to ban imports of some Canadian products, including most alcohol, and increase tariffs on some others on Tuesday after Canada imposed retaliatory duties on the United States.

That happened after trade talks reached an impasse in August, which led to Trump imposing 50 per cent tariffs on nearly $28 billion worth of Canadian goods ranging from honey and sunscreen to sports equipment and milk.