Talks are moving and officials are talking up momentum
Kevin Hassett, who leads the White House National Economic Council, told Fox News' The Sunday Briefing that discussions with Canada have accelerated and could be nearing agreement. He also said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had been in contact with Canadian counterparts throughout the week.
A US official said Sunday that exchanges between Lutnick and Dominic LeBlanc, the Canadian cabinet minister charged with handling talks with the US, have intensified in recent weeks and continue. The same official cautioned that outcomes remain uncertain because the US view is that Canada has not yet offered enough, and said the president will only back a deal that is favorable for the US.
Tariff shifts, Maine politics, and Canada's response
Hassett's remarks came two days after the Trump administration reworked tariffs on Canadian products to aid certain Maine companies following advocacy from Senator Susan Collins. The White House has also said it is simultaneously waiving tariffs for some Canadian items and raising duties on others in an effort to bolster Collins' campaign to keep her Senate seat. "President Trump has put the citizens of Maine first," Hassett said.
Collins said Friday the US will roll back 50% tariffs on Canadian plywood, on bleached paper and cartons, and on certain agricultural machinery, arguing the change will support Maine's rural and coastal economies. She also previously highlighted that President Trump lifted tariffs on road salt and other goods last month after she asked him to do so, at the same time he announced retaliatory measures following the collapse of US-Canada talks. After negotiations over a US-Canada tariff arrangement unraveled in August, both countries rolled out tit-for-tat measures, and Canada later adjusted its counter-tariffs to drop seafood items.
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