Carney credits U.S. with ‘asking less’ and ‘offering more’ in revitalized trade talks

Prime Minister Mark Carney said the United States is “asking less” and “offering more” in negotiations aimed at a trade deal that he says are making progress.

But he cautioned still more headway needs to be made.

Mr. Carney, speaking to reporters Tuesday at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, said U.S. negotiators have backed off a position that regarded French-protection laws as trade barriers as well as proposals that would have restricted Ottawa’s ability to sign trade deals with countries.

“We are making progress, but it’s not over yet,” the Prime Minister said, speaking in French.

“There are certain red lines for the government of Canada – areas where the Americans have decided that maintaining their previous position is no longer necessary, specifically regarding the French language, Canadian culture and Canada’s sovereign latitude to pursue free trade agreements with other nations.”

“If I were to paraphrase it, they’re asking less and they’re offering more – but we’re not quite there” yet, he said.

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Talks are expected to pick up where they left off in August, when Canada walked away from the negotiations with the two countries deadlocked over matters including automobile trade.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been under pressure ahead of this week’s midterm elections to address concerns about affordability. His approval ratings have been buffeted by the negative economic effects of his tariff-heavy trade policy and the war in Iran.

When Canada walked away from the trade-deal bargaining table with Washington more than two months ago, Mr. Carney said the United States was offering a “bad deal” that “asked too much and offered too little” for this country.

The Prime Minister also said at the time that U.S. trade proposals, as they stood, would have curtailed Canadian sovereignty and eroded or destroyed major industries here.

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Mr. Carney has given three main reasons for abandoning trade talks in August. He said the U.S. refused to extend tariff relief to medium- and heavy-duty trucks, which would have affected the viability of the General Motors and Ford plants in Ontario.

He also said the U.S. was pushing for changes around the discoverability of French-language content for online streaming services, and that Washington had suggested language that Ottawa believed could have restricted Canada’s ability to make trade deals with other countries.