Trump sees Canada deal ‘fairly soon,’ downplays leaving CUSMA - National Post
Taoiseach Micheal Martin and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a bilateral meeting at Farmleigh House on September 12, 2026 in Dublin, Ireland. U.S. President Donald Trump is on a two-day non-state visit to Ireland. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)Article contentPresident Donald Trump expressed optimism about resolving a trade fight with Canada and downplayed the prospect of quitting a continental trade pact, in a potential sign of de-escalating tensions between the two countries.
Trump was asked Saturday whether he intended to have the US leave the Canada-US-Mexico Trade Agreement during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin.
He went on to say that a deal with Canada could come “fairly soon,” but provided no details on whether formal talks between the two economies had resumed.
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“Canada has to treat our farmers better, and they can’t charge our farmers tariffs. They’re charging our farmers 400% tariffs and many other things, so when those things go away, they’re willing to get rid of it all,” Trump said, adding, “You’ll probably see a deal with Canada fairly soon.”
The U.S. and Canada have been locked in a clash that has expanded well beyond tariffs and that threatens to rupture cross-border supply chains relied on by key industries like auto manufacturing. Talks in August on a broader trade deal collapsed at the last minute, leading Trump to follow through on threats to hit Canada with 50% levies on billions of dollars in goods.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney retaliated with tariffs on Sept. 8, hitting a score of U.S. consumer goods and raising duties on many US steel products to 50% from 25%. Trump, in turn, announced additional counter-measures against Canada, including bans on certain products while expanding duties on others.
Carney, however, recently signalled that another round of retaliation was unlikely, saying that the latest US measures against Canada would only have a “modest” impact overall. The prime minister also confirmed on Thursday that he had spoken to Trump recently on geopolitical issues, though it was not clear if that covered trade.
