Canada’s concessions have meant little to Trump administration: U.S. trade czar

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The effort seemed to steady the Canada-U.S. relationship briefly and a limited deal on some of U.S. President Donald Trump’s sector-specific tariffs appeared imminent last October.

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But the U.S. froze talks again that month after Trump was angered by an Ontario-funded ad quoting former president Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs.

In June, Ottawa directed the CRTC to reconsider its decision to triple streamers’ financial contributions to Canadian content as part of its work to implement the Online Streaming Act. The decision came down after protests from American interest groups and U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra.

The relationship between Canadian and U.S. trade officials slowly thawed this year. Greer said he’s in weekly contact with his Canadian counterparts and he’s offered Ottawa proposals to “put us in a better position.”

He also said “we just haven’t seen a lot of movement.”

The United States formally announced that it was not renewing the Canada-U.S.-Mexico-Agreement on trade, known as CUSMA, at the start of July.

The agreement stays in place under annual rolling reviews for up to a decade, at which point it will expire if no extension agreement is negotiated.

Canada and Mexico both said they wanted a 16-year extension.

The continental trade agreement has shielded Canada and Mexico from many of Trump’s tariffs but industries like steel, aluminum, automobiles and cabinetry are being slammed with separate duties.

Those sector-specific duties have been a key issue for Canada’s negotiators and Trump seems unwilling to shift his stance on the tariffs.

Washington and Mexico have launched formal CUSMA negotiations but no such talks have started with Ottawa.

Greer said the Mexicans are “pragmatic” but the “trade deficit in Mexico really is a challenge.” He said there are issues with Mexico regarding overcapacity, subsidies, unfair trading practices and monetary policy.

Greer didn’t cite specific trade irritants with Canada but he repeated a Trump administration talking point when he claimed Canada and China were the only countries to retaliate after the president imposed his sweeping tariffs.

He said Trump also remains focused on lowering the trade deficit with Canada. That deficit is largely driven by oil imports; without taking energy into account, the U.S. runs a trade surplus with Canada.

Greer did speak optimistically about a future agreement with Canada, indicating that some of the talks need to happen at the highest levels.

“The reality is if the president and Prime Minister Carney have an understanding, I’m sure we can put together something that makes sense to get us over the hump,” he said.

“We’re always going to trade some with Canada, just because they’re there.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2026.

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press