Trade negotiators from the United States and Canada are meeting in Washington, D.C., for a third consecutive day on Friday. The discussions aim to finalize a trade agreement before a deadline set for early Saturday morning. Dominic LeBlanc, the Canadian minister responsible for trade with the U.S., was scheduled to meet with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at 10:30 a.m. EDT.
The high-level talks follow a Thursday session where LeBlanc and Greer met for more than three hours. Following that meeting, LeBlanc stated that the two nations were "very close" to reaching an accord, though he noted that additional work remained necessary to finalize the details.
The negotiations are centered on avoiding new U.S. tariffs. U.S. President Donald Trump has stated he will implement a 50% tariff on approximately $20 billion worth of Canadian goods if a deal is not reached by 12:01 a.m. EDT on Saturday. These talks occur amid nearly two years of strained relations between the two North American allies.
The impact would be felt immediately after the deadline passes at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. If the tariffs go into effect, companies involved in cross-border trade would see the tax applied to their shipments as they cross the border. The scale of the trade involved—$20 billion—means that industries across both nations would need to adjust their budgets and supply chains to account for the increased costs.
Beyond the immediate financial costs, a successful agreement is viewed by negotiators as a potential turning point in bilateral relations. Reaching a deal could serve as a precursor to broader negotiations regarding the renewal of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the primary trade treaty governing North American commerce. If a deal is not reached by the Saturday deadline, the tariffs will be implemented, and the status of those broader trade talks remains uncertain.