Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney plans to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump before Wednesday's tariff deadline, describing the negotiations as "very delicate and intense" and "not the time to negotiate in public."
Carney's planned intervention comes after negotiators spent a week in Washington seeking a comprehensive deal that would avert the 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion of Canadian imports. Canada is pressing for the measures to be shelved entirely alongside broader tariff reductions on sectors such as steel, while Washington demands Ottawa remove retaliatory auto tariffs, widen dairy quotas, and lift a provincial ban on U.S. alcohol sales. Ontario Premier Doug Ford signaled the alcohol boycott could end if a fair deal protecting Canadian industries is reached.
Public pressure is mounting, with an Abacus Data poll showing 74% of Canadians feel the dispute has hit their household and more than a third favoring new counter-tariffs.