Canada-U.S. trade minister back in D.C. for talks this week

Both LeBlanc and Charette were in Washington last week to meet with United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. LeBlanc didn’t specify what they discussed in an online post, saying only that they “agreed to remain in close contact and continue working together.”

LeBlanc also attended a “Canada-U.S. Friendship Day” baseball game last week between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Washington Nationals.

The trips come as the U.S. ramps up pressure on Canada ahead of formal talks on CUSMA, the Canada-U.S.-Mexico agreement on trade.

U.S. President Donald Trump has also threatened to slap new tariffs on Canadian goods.

The new round of 50 per cent tariffs on a range of Canadian goods is set to take effect on Aug. 19. Unlike most of Trump’s other tariffs, these tariffs would have no exemptions for goods compliant under CUSMA.

Greer has said the tariffs are a response to provincial bans on U.S. liquor, Canada’s supply managed dairy system and quotas on certain U.S. vehicles.

CUSMA was negotiated during the first Trump administration to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement.

At the beginning of July, the Trump administration announced it was not extending CUSMA. That triggered annual rolling reviews that could last for up to a decade — at which point CUSMA would expire unless all three countries agreed to an extension.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2026.

Anja Karadeglija, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Canada-U.S. trade minister back in D.C. for talks this week

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