Officials from Canada and the United States are discussing tariffs in Washington and are anticipated to reconvene next week.

A crucial discussion between officials from Canada and the U.S. on Thursday concluded without any removal of tariffs; however, Ontario Premier Doug Ford stated that the meeting was “very, very successful” and expressed a “very positive” outlook as both parties plan to reconvene next week. On the last day of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s term, his successor, Mark Carney, indicated that he is prepared to engage in negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump as long as Canada’s sovereignty is honored. In the Oval Office, Trump remarked that Canada could retain its national anthem if it were to become a state. In the meantime, the trade conflict persists. Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum remain in place, as do Canada’s retaliatory measures affecting $30 billion worth of U.S. products.

7:30 p.m. EDT: Canada, U.S. ‘making progress,’ minister says

 

Champagne was pressed by reporters if the meeting resulted in any tangible changes.

“I would say the fact that we’re engaging is a tangible outcome,” he replied.

Champagne says they left the meeting with a better understanding of the Trump administration’s policies, adding that knowing “the rules of the game” will help Canada win the trade war.

When asked to describe the “vibe” of the meeting, Champagne repeated that it was “constructive,” but admitted that there were disagreements.

He insisted that as long as there was dialogue, “you’re making progress.”

7:15 p.m. EDT: Ministers call meeting with U.S. officials ‘productive’

Both Leblanc and Champagne called the 90-minute meeting with Lutnick and other U.S. officials “productive.”

New U.S .trade representative Jamieson Greer was also at the meeting, he was also involved in the previous negotiations of the 2018 CUSMA agreement that Trump previously signed.

There is a clause in the CUSMA agreement to review the contract in 2026.

Canada’s U.S. Ambassador Kirsten Hillman says Greer will likely act as the “quarterback” for those talks.

Canada, U.S. agree to maintain dialogue

At a news conference at the Canadian embassy in Washington, LeBlanc and Champagne echoed Ford’s earlier remarks, saying that the meeting was “constructive.”

LeBlanc said the meeting gave him and other Canadian officials an opportunity to understand Trump’s “America first trade policy.”

“Obviously, we reiterated the long standing position of our government that the tariffs are unjustified, that we think it’s much more constructive to build a strong North American economy by working together, by dealing with issues as important as China and other issues that frankly should be dealt with by economic partners working together, not in the context of applying tariffs to one another,” LeBlanc said.

Ford describes their meeting as “very civil” with Lutnick

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Ford was asked if the U.S. will stop imposing tariffs on Canada and he replied: “No.”

“We were having very productive conversations, and it turned out very, very well,” Ford said. ”I just look forward to again, continue communicating next week.

“We got a lot on the table, back and forth, but it was very, very good, very civil, very going back and forth,” he added.

The meeting lasted for nearly two hours. Federal ministers Dominic LeBlanc and François-Philippe Champagne were also part of the Canadian contingent.

Ford added that another talk is set to take place next week.

Despite tariff war, some U.S. residents vacationing up north

Every summer, Arthur Elston and his wife travel from Delaware to spend their vacation north of the border. This year will be no different, even as trade war tensions rise between Canada and the U.S.

“Our best friend live up there and we’re going to come up and visit them for a couple of weeks, and we enjoy being with them,” Elston said.

Elston is blocking out the things Trump has said about Canada.

“I’m not a big fan of what he’s doing,” Elston said. “It’s not going to affect what I do. I don’t have much time left, so I want to enjoy what I’ve got.”

Elston won’t be alone visiting Canada. Travel bookings are up, and Nova Scotia is expecting a heavy volume of American visitors this summer.

“Group travel and cruise ship travel is increasing from the United States,” said tourism operator Sean Buckland. “We are at a 40.5 per cent increase in sales over last year, to date.”

The Canadian dollar’s exchange rate appears to be too good for Americans to pass up, says Halifax Chamber of Commerce CEO Patrick Sullivan.

“They’d like to vacation; they like to come to Canada. they like to take advantage of that 69 per cent Canadian dollar and spend their money here,” said Sullivan.

Paul Harper, Kironi News reporter