Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has written a strongly worded letter to the prime minister in anticipation of his upcoming meeting with the U.S. president this week, expressing disappointment in Mark Carney’s performance on trade matters and urging him to secure beneficial outcomes for Canada.
Poilievre highlighted in the letter, shared with CBC News, that Carney had pledged to secure advantageous trade deals for Canada and alleviate tariffs during the summer, which unfortunately did not materialize as expected.
The negotiations between Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump surpassed the self-imposed deadline of August 1 for resolving issues related to border and fentanyl-linked tariffs, as well as the Section 232 tariffs affecting steel, aluminum, automobiles, and other Canadian goods.
Poilievre criticized Trump for intensifying pressure on Canada by imposing new tariffs on lumber and furniture, along with higher rates on existing tariffs, indicating a negative trend in the negotiations.
In the letter, Poilievre emphasized the escalating tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Canada and urged Carney to push for the removal of tariffs on softwood lumber, steel, aluminum, and autos, as well as to eliminate discriminatory Buy American regulations that hinder Canadian builders — objectives that the government is actively pursuing.
The planned Tuesday meeting between Carney, several cabinet ministers, and the U.S. president at the White House is described by the Prime Minister’s Office as a focused discussion on shared priorities within the economic and security relationship between Canada and the U.S.
Poilievre called on Carney to leverage support from him and other Conservatives to fulfill the commitment of negotiating advantageous tariff agreements with the U.S., referencing his willingness to engage with American lawmakers and Trump administration officials on behalf of Canada.
While Poilievre did not outline specific alternate strategies in his letter, he underscored the importance of Carney delivering tangible outcomes from the meeting with Trump to benefit Canadian workers, businesses, and the country as a whole.
Government sources expressed cautious optimism that Carney could secure relief from steel tariffs during his meeting with Trump, with experts suggesting that progress on trade negotiations is anticipated given Carney’s repeated engagements with the U.S. president.
Laura Dawson, an expert on Canada-U.S. relations, indicated that Carney’s return to Washington signals a potential advancement in trade discussions, with Canada striving to address Section 232 tariffs before the CUSMA review process commences next year.
Overall, there is a sense of growing optimism that positive developments in the trade relationship between Canada and the U.S. could emerge from Carney’s interactions with Trump this week.
