Canada, U.S. not yet ready to make tariff deal, Canada unsatisfied with latest U.S. offer: sources

As the clock ticks toward U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff deadline, Canada and the U.S. aren't at a point where a tariff deal can be reached — and Canadian officials are not satisfied with the latest U.S. offer, according to two sources with knowledge of the trade talks.

According to sources on both sides of the border, the Americans offered a new proposal on Tuesday which would lower some of the sectoral tariffs but not to the degree that the Canadian side would like to see. CBC News is not naming the sources because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Negotiators have been going back and forth in recent weeks in an effort to reach some sort of deal before Aug. 19, which is when Trump has promised a 50 per cent levy on hundreds of Canadian goods in addition to the sectoral tariffs already in place.

The Americans are seeking a deal that would see preferential access to Canadian critical minerals and cover security and energy, the sources said.

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc has been in Washington to meet with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer three times in as many weeks. CBC News previously reported that the two are aiming to present Trump with a path to a potential trade deal as early as Monday .

Sources told CBC News last week that the Canadian side has aggressively argued to the Americans that there would be no political appetite among Canadians to keep talks going if the Aug. 19 tariffs come into place.

Both sides have agreed to hold daily meetings at various levels up until that deadline, the sources said.

Neither LeBlanc nor Canada's chief trade negotiator, Janice Charette, answered reporters' questions after they were seen leaving Greer's office on Tuesday afternoon.

LeBlanc later posted to X saying that discussions are "ongoing" and he and Charette will "continue to engage at the negotiation table."

LeBlanc's office told CBC News he and Charette remain in Washington as of Wednesday night.

In addition to trying to dissuade Americans from levying new tariffs, LeBlanc and Charette are looking for relief on tariffs the U.S. has slapped on Canadian steel, aluminum, lumber and autos.

Canada is also hoping the ongoing trade talks between the two countries will result in a renewal of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) after the Trump administration last month declined to extend the deal past 2036.

When announcing the Aug. 19 tariffs, the U.S. raised a number of trade irritants, including Canada's retaliation against U.S. trade policy with the removal of U.S. alcohol from provincial store shelves and alleged Canadian discrimination against U.S. motor vehicles and dairy.

Canada prepared to halt booze bans, meet other U.S. demands in exchange for tariff relief: sources