Canada, U.S. trade officials mapping out potential deal to pitch to Trump next week: sources

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and his American counterpart are aiming to present U.S. President Donald Trump a path to a potential trade deal as early as Monday, CBC News has learned.

Sources who were recently briefed on the matter say the hope is the joint proposal can be presented to Trump at least a day before the president's latest tariff deadline.

That timeline would give Trump the space to make a final decision before new 50 per cent levies on hundreds of Canadian imports are scheduled to take effect on Aug. 19.

CBC News is not naming the sources as they weren't authorized to speak publicly.

LeBlanc met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington on Tuesday, marking the third time in three weeks the pair has met face to face.

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 had initially planned to travel to Washington on Monday, but his flight to the U.S. capital was diverted back to Montreal Monday afternoon due to severe weather.

Charette, meanwhile, spent all day Monday in Washington meeting with officials from the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

Carney says Trump agreed to 'intensify' trade talks after 50% tariff threat

In addition to trying to dissuade Americans from levying new tariffs, LeBlanc and Charette are looking for relief on sectoral 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 an extension of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) after the Trump administration declined to renew the deal back in July.

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.

According to U.S. Census Bureau figures, the alcohol bans in every province, save Alberta and Saskatchewan, have resulted in a $360-million US drop in wine exports to Canada in 2025 from the previous year, along with a $150-million US drop in spirit exports.