Canada Pessimistic About Return to Tariff-Free Trade with US

Washington (ANTARA) – Canada believes its tariff-free trade relationship with the United States is unlikely to return to the way it was, the country’s chief trade negotiator with the US, Janice Charette, said on Thursday.

“I don’t think we should expect a return to tariff-free trade with the United States. No country in the world will be in a position to secure tariff-free trade with the US,” Charette said.

Speaking at the Toronto Global Forum, Charette said Ottawa and Washington were now in a period of realignment in their trade relationship. This gives Canada an opportunity to pursue the best possible deal for the country.

“I have said publicly that the pen has been put down and the door is open. Canada is ready to resume talks to achieve our goal of stabilising the relationship,” she said.

Charette said Canadian and US negotiators were discussing the possibility of resuming trade negotiations, although no timetable had been set. She said it would be a mistake for the two countries to stop communicating.

“The worst thing that could happen is if we stopped talking to one another … We have a trading relationship. We want to increase trade,” Charette said.

Canada-US relations have been strained since 2025 by trade disputes and wider diplomatic repercussions. On 21 August 2026, trade talks stalled and the US began imposing 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods worth US$20 billion.

Canada subsequently introduced retaliatory measures targeting several US products, including steel, dairy products, household appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper, and electronics.

On Wednesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his government was ready to resume negotiations to reach a fair trade deal with the US, but only if Washington was also prepared to negotiate in good faith.