OTTAWA/ WASHINGTON, 21st August, 2026 (WAM) -- Canada and the United States are "very close" to agreeing a trade deal that could help reduce months of tariffs and counter-tariffs, but more work remains to be done, a top Canadian official said on Thursday.
Dominic LeBlanc, the minister responsible for trade with the US, was speaking after he met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington.
The two sides are trying to meet a deadline set by US President Donald Trump, who said he will impose a new 50 percent tariff on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods at 12:01 am EDT (0401 GMT) on Saturday.
"We're very close. We continue to make progress and we're going to stay here and do the work that's necessary," LeBlanc told reporters.
The proposed deal is expected to cut the top-line tariff on Canadian-built vehicles to 15 percent from 25 percent and halve tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium to 25 percent, sources said.