Canada is targeting steel price relief while Carney hopes to improve relations with Trump, say sources

The partial relief of steel prices is the modest expectation of the Canadian delegation to the White House for Tuesday’s meeting between Prime Minister Mark Carney and US President Donald Trump.

According to three Canadian sources, which are addressed to CBC News and Radio-Canada, hope is that any kind of steel price relief will create a framework or an example of how other prices already imposed in Canada could also be lowered.

CBC News and Radio-Canada do not name sources because they are not allowed to speak publicly about sensitive questions.

Two of the sources told Radio-Canada that Trump extended the invitation to Carney. It started with an informal verbal invitation, when the leaders met in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September. The follow -up conversations between Canadian and American teams offered the date on Tuesday.

Sources also see this moment as an opportunity for Carney to improve his relationship with Trump after a tumultuous summer. Trade deadlines have gone without new agreements, new prices have been imposed in Canada, and there have been difficult times in the relationship, including the indignation of Trump in the face of the digital services of Canada.

Although the sources characterize all the current commercial talks between Canada and the United States as positive, there remains a nervousness that comes from the events linked to Trump, given to what extent the president was unpredictable.

In general, a leader’s leader event would include the announcement of the agreements or finalized plans.

The sources talking about CBC News and Radio-Canada are cautious when they discuss the objectives, given the unpredictable decision of Trump. The sources feared defining expectations, only to see an unexpected reversal.

The United States has imposed a wide range of prices in Canada, causing job losses, economic uncertainty and global financial pain. At the same time, Trump also applied a patchwork of sculptures, attenuating certain pinch points.

Look | The US Person of Carney says there is still a chance to agree on the prices::

“ I do not see any impasse ”: the person US point of Carney says that there is still chances of a price agreement

Dominic Leblanc, Minister responsible for Trade in Canada-US, told a senatorial committee that conversations are continuing on American sectoral prices on Canadian goods and that there was no suggestion for these discussions to be folded in the next CUSMA review.

There is no exception for Canadian steel and aluminum prices, which is currently 50%. And although no world leader has successfully negotiated a way to get out of these specific prices, rates are lower for certain countries that have concluded large trade agreements with the United States, including the United Kingdom

No one with which CBC News and Radio Canada have spoken to expect a large trade agreement to be announced, but there is hoping that the movement on steel prices could also pave the way for future agreements to also reduce additional rates.

Relationship creation

Carney and Trump met face to face at least three times since the Canadian Prime Minister was elected last spring.

Although Trump’s tone towards Canada certainly seems to be more positive than in the last months of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in power, there are challenges.

After having progressed in commercial talks on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, in June, Carney announced that the two parties had set the goal of achieving a new trade and security agreement in Canada-American within 30 days.

“I can’t wait to continue this work at this summit and in the coming weeks,” said Carney at the time.

More than a week later, Trump suddenly announced his intention to suspend talks, angry with the digital services offered by Canada, which would have an impact on American technological companies.

Trump was unleashed on social networks and in front of journalists during an oval office event. Tensions began to relax when Canada abandoned the tax and talks resumed. Although hope for an agreement began to fade quickly.

The 30 -day original deadline was extended by Trump, who then threatened to increase the prices unless an agreement was concluded by August 1.

Again, the talks failed to reach a breakthrough, and the security of the borders and the rates linked to fentanyl have increased from 25 to 35%. Although there are exemptions for goods comply with CUSMA, Mexico, which is also a member of the trilateral trade agreement, has been spared the increase.

Canada has since been backwards back to American products, partly because it hopes that the White House will consider the decision as an act of good will, to advance talks.

Look | Trump mentions again that Canada becoming the 51st state:

Trump again mentions that Canada being the 51st state in speech to military leaders

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he had once again told an anonymous Canadian official that the country should consider joining the United States as a 51st state, when he was during an event in Virginia, addressing senior military officials.

In addition to commercial difficulties, Trump also continues to argue that Canada would be better as a 51st state.

Canadian officials hoped that the kind of rhetoric would have stopped after Trudeau has left his duties, given Trump’s personal animosity to the previous Prime Minister.

Although the blows are not as frequent, he made them during an interview this summer on Fox News and in a disjointed speech to the American military leaders last week.

Right now, although there is hope for the progress of Canadian officials, there is a fear of the unknown with Trump – a fear of worsening things.