Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc is heading back to Washington today for more talks after U.S. President Donald Trump chose to delay his new tariffs until later this week. A statement from LeBlanc’s office says the minister and Chief Negotiator Janice Charette will meet with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at 12:15 p.m. ET at the United States Trade Representative’s offices. Canada and the U.S. now have until Saturday to reach a deal before Trump imposes 50 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods. In a Truth Social post Tuesday night, the U.S. president stated that he would delay his tariffs for three days and added that the two countries have reached a tentative deal. He also said that the Keystone XL pipeline “may be awoken from the grave.” Prime Minister Mark Carney’s own statement released Wednesday did not mention a deal or a pipeline, but said that “substantial progress has been made.” Follow along for key updates: Premiers are optimistic Some premiers say they’re optimistic about Canada’s progress in reaching a trade deal to avoid punishing tariffs from the United States, while others say they’re waiting for more details about the agreement. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston told reporters Wednesday that he was “optimistic” about the deal, adding that Prime Minister Mark Carney has asked provinces to restock American alcohol on their shelves. B.C.’s David Eby said that while no agreement will offer everything the country is hoping for, the federal government has made substantial progress across strategic sectors. Scott Moe of Saskatchewan said Wednesday that he hopes both countries can negotiate a deal that would reduce U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum, autos and lumber. Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette told reporters it was too soon to make a judgment call about the deal, adding that she needed more information to see whether it’s positive for her province. The Canadian Press Keystone XL benefits both: expert “It’s really one of those unique cases where I think both countries benefit,” said Dennis McConaghy, a former Canadian energy executive, on Thursday. In an interview with CTV Your Morning, McConaghy explained that Canada would benefit economically if Keystone XL were revived, since Canadian heavy oil suits U.S. refineries. “Now the argument has always been Canada might gain more economic margin by sending its incremental oil production to the West Coast,” McConaghy said. “Of course, that means you have to be able to get a pipeline built to the West Coast, and that’s always had obvious risks.” Devika Desai, CTVNews.ca journalist Avoid ‘escalation’: agri-food expert Canada’s agri-food exporters are “optimistic” about Trump’s tariff pause as it abated a potential “escalatory spiral” that could have hurt business, a Canadian expert says. Michael Harvey, the executive director of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance, told CTV News Channel on Wednesday that while the industry isn’t directly impacted by the tariffs, there has been “an increasing level of political risk that’s made it difficult to make business decisions to invest.” “Our concern has been an escalatory spiral where there could be across-the-board tariffs that would hit,” he said. Despite becoming a more difficult market to work with, the U.S. still makes up 70 per cent of Canada’s agri-food exports, he added. “We have to manage these contradictory ... situations.” “Our situation is of confidence, but not too much confidence.” Devika Desai, CTVNews.ca journalist PM Carney asks for return of U.S. booze Following a virtual first ministers meeting, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston said Prime Minister Mark Carney asked the provincial leaders “to return the U.S. alcohol to the shelf.” In a virtual media conference on Wednesday, Houston said the ask is “something that came directly out of the negotiating table,” and is “something that (he) would be willing to do for the prime minister at this point in time.” “Whether Nova Scotians or whether Canadians will actually buy it when it gets back on the shelves, that’s a whole other discussion,” he added. Kayla Thompson, CTVNews.ca journalist Provincial sources: trade deal not done Multiple provincial sources are sharing cautious optimism with CTV News following a briefing with Carney on the tentative trade deal between Canada and the U.S. However, they also emphasized that the deal is not done yet. In a post to Truth Social late Tuesday, Trump said the countries “have a deal,” but sources say that characterization is not accurate and further negotiations are ongoing. The provincial sources also tell CTV News that Carney personally asked the premiers to return U.S. alcohol to store shelves. He even told them he will bear any public pushback if that happens. According to a recent Nanos Research survey, most Canadians say they won’t purchase U.S. booze if it returns to stores. Stephanie Ha, bureau manager, Ottawa News Bureau With files from CTV News’ chief political correspondent Vassy Kapelos
