Canada and the US are not expected to reach a trade deal before next week's American midterm elections, Canadian public broadcaster CBC News said on Monday.
Citing three unnamed sources, the report said Canadian government officials told industry groups in recent weeks that no agreement is anticipated before the Nov. 3 elections, adding that there is no substantial engagement between the two sides despite ongoing contact between officials.
The sources said the White House is fully focused on the campaign, with President Donald Trump spending much of his time at rallies as polls suggest his Republican Party could lose the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate.
Canada-US Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc later confirmed the position in CBC interview.
"We have continued to remain engaged with the United States. But we're not going to rush into some particular circumstance and … agree to something that we don't think is in Canada's sovereign interest or economic interest," he said.
Brian Clow, a former deputy chief of staff to former-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said optimism in some circles had rested on the trade war's unpopularity with some American voters. "But that window appears to be entirely closed," he said.
In a post on his Truth Social platform in August, Trump threatened to raise tariffs on cars, trucks, auto parts, and steel to 50% as of Jan. 1, 2027. LeBlanc said Washington has not taken any official step yet but described the threat as "obviously of concern."
Meanwhile, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer denied that Canada is being singled out, saying tariffs are "not focused on any one country," according to the CBC.
