OTTAWA -- International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu had a pull-aside chat with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer Wednesday during the G20 trade ministers’ meeting in Milwaukee, Sidhu’s office says. A “pull aside” is an informal conversation between officials on the sidelines of international meetings. Sidhu shared a photo of himself and Greer on social media Thursday and said they talked about how the two countries can work together on multilateral issues, World Trade Organization reform and reinforcing rules-based international trade. “I highlighted the implications of trade uncertainties on both sides of the border, especially the auto sector, with workers on both sides feeling the impacts,” Sidhu said. Discussing trade tensions between Canada and the United States on Bloomberg news Thursday, Greer said the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is open to making a deal with Canada but is “not inclined to go to zero tariffs.” Greer said the question remains whether Canada is willing to say “yes on some of these things.” Greer added his main point of contact on trade talks is Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and said they speak frequently. Sidhu is scheduled to have formal one-on-one meetings with his counterparts from the European Union, India and Brazil on Thursday. Ahead of the summit, Sidhu said Canada’s key priorities for the meeting included advancing a digital trade agreement with the European Union, advancing talks with the South American trade bloc Mercosur, and working on an economic partnership agreement with India. Sidhu held formal meetings with his French, Australian and Turkish counterparts Wednesday. This meeting is being held ahead of the annual G20 summit set for Miami on Dec. 14 and 15. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2026. By David Baxter
