US and Canadian Negotiators Meet for Third Day as Tariff Deadline Nears

Top trade officials from the United States and Canada are set to meet for a third consecutive day in Washington, racing to finalize a trade deal before a Saturday deadline for significant new U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods.

High-Stakes Negotiations

According to a statement from his office, Canada’s minister for U.S. trade, Dominic LeBlanc, is scheduled to meet with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Friday. The session follows more than three hours of talks on Thursday.

After the previous meeting, LeBlanc stated that the two sides were "very close" to a deal but acknowledged that "more work was necessary," as reported by Reuters. The ongoing discussions highlight the urgency to find common ground.

Tariff Deadline Looms

The negotiations are pressured by a deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump. If an agreement is not reached, the U.S. plans to impose a new 50% tariff on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods.

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The tariffs are scheduled to come into effect at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Saturday. This impending deadline places immense pressure on both parties to resolve outstanding issues.

Broader Trade Implications

A successful resolution could mark a significant detente in what has been a nearly two-year period of tense trade relations between the two major trading partners. For investors, a deal would remove a key point of uncertainty in the North American market.

An agreement could also pave the way for broader negotiations on renewing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA) to move forward, potentially stabilizing a critical trade corridor for all three nations.