Carney says ‘no’ to making more concessions to get to U.S. trade talks – National

Canada would not make any more trade concessions to get to the table with the U.S. on trade talks, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday.

Carney was asked by reporters while heading into the Liberal caucus meeting in Ottawa: “would Canada make any more concessions to get to the table with the U.S.?”

Carney said, “No.”

This came as CBC News reported that the Trump administration is demanding what amounts to an “entry fee” – or a series of concessions – from Canada to engage in trade talks toward a revised CUSMA.

“We understand what some of the – what the Americans would call trade irritants or trade issues – are. We have some on our side as well. We’re well prepared around those issues,” Carney said when asked if the U.S. had asked for any concessions before the talks even began.

Both sides “will sit down and work through those issues,” Carney said.

“We’ve made some counter proposals, which they’re aware (of). And the time will come to really roll up our sleeves,” he added.

The Canada-United States-Mexico-Agreement (CUSMA), which governs the terms of free trade between those three countries, is up for a review before July 1 this year.

More to come

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