The United States administration has signaled that recent trade concessions made by Canada are not enough to trigger formal negotiations. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated that while he acknowledges Ottawa’s decision to drop its digital services tax and roll back the Online Streaming Act, such actions do not warrant immediate concessions from Washington.
“They don’t really get credit for doing something bad and then undoing it,” Greer remarked during the Aspen Security Forum in Washington on Wednesday. While the U.S. has already entered into formal trade discussions with Mexico, the track for Canada remains stalled. Greer confirmed that he maintains weekly contact with Canadian officials and has presented proposals aimed at improving the current negotiating position.
The path toward a new trade agreement currently hinges on direct engagement between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney. According to Greer, a high-level understanding between the two leaders is necessary to overcome the current impasse. For now, the formal negotiation process remains frozen as Washington maintains its firm stance on the terms required to move forward.