By Paul Vieira

OTTAWA--A senior Canadian official says he's hoping to speak with the U.S. Trade Representative in the coming weeks about addressing the Trump administration's complaints over Canadian trade policy.

Dominic LeBlanc, the Canadian minister in charge of U.S.-Canada ties, said Wednesday he's confident that Ottawa and Washington can work through points of contention, and proceed on talks related to the future of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact, or USMCA.

About a week ago, USTR Jamieson Greer said talks with Mexico are proceeding, and described Mexican officials as being "quite pragmatic." Greer, however, said dealing with Canada was more challenging, citing a decision by Canada's most-populous province, Ontario, to ban U.S. wines and spirits from the shelves at Ontario-run liquor stores.

"There are a variety of issues that they have not addressed and they aren't addressing, and this makes it a big challenge and an obstacle for starting real negotiations with them," Greer said last week of Canadian officials.

LeBlanc, in Mexico visiting officials in that country, told reporters via a virtual press conference that he spoke to Greer following the USTR's comments to Fox Business, calling the conversation productive and cordial, but offered few details.

Trade tensions between Ottawa and Washington have ramped up over the past month, after Ottawa secured a pact with Beijing that would allow some Chinese-made electric vehicles to enter Canada at sharply reduced tariff rates. President Trump has threatened to slap 100% tariffs on all Canadian imports should Ottawa seek a free-trade pact with China. Trump has also threatened to ground Canadian-made aircraft until regulators in Ottawa certify some aircraft made by Gulfstream, and block the opening of a new bridge aimed at alleviating trade congestion between Detroit and Canada.

LeBlanc said his Mexican counterparts reassured him about a "desire to work with Canada and to ensure that the USMCA review results in a strengthened and ongoing trilateral trade agreement."

A U.S.-led review of USMCA is set to move into a higher gear this summer, and trade analysts expect Washington to push for more concessions from both Canada and Mexico to keep the trilateral pact intact.


Write to Paul Vieira at paul.vieira@wsj.com


Write to Paul Vieira at paul.vieira@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

02-18-26 1845ET