Trump and Canada’s Carney Seem to Make Progress on a Tariff Deal, but Questions Linger
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Trump delayed a midnight deadline for 50% tariffs on additional Canadian goods, pushing it to Friday, and told reporters he had a "deal with the prime minister," calling it a "good deal for everybody."
- Mark Carney said the two sides were "moving towards an agreement" after Canadians had spent the day bracing for the 50% tariff hit on more goods.
- Trump floated lowering US steel and aluminum tariffs "to a level where other countries are," acknowledging Canada "was paying a higher tariff" — a key Canadian ask.
- Jamieson Greer, the US Trade Representative, told reporters outside his office the US was "very happy with where we ended up," reinforcing the optimistic White House framing.
- The piece frames the extended talks as an "emotional roller coaster" in the US-Canada relationship, with the original 50% threat poised to deliver "another potential hit to the Canadian economy" if the new Friday deadline slipped.
Why it matters: If a deal lands, Canadian steel and aluminum exporters gain relief from the higher US tariff rate Trump conceded Canada was paying, and the US avoids further damage to the already-strained bilateral relationship. Carney's careful "moving towards" language — noticeably softer than Trump's "we have a deal" — suggests Canada's concessions aren't yet locked in, leaving Friday's midnight deadline as the next hard marker for whether 50% tariffs actually take effect.
Ask SkimNews
