Canada-US sectoral deals likely to persist even if USMCA is revised, Carney says

The specific deals that Canada is negotiating with the U.S. in key sectors such as steel, aluminum and autos are likely to persist even if the United States-Canada-Mexico trade deal is reviewed next year, Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday.

Carney told reporters it was unlikely that "one simple trade deal" could resolve all the issues between the two countries. 

The sectors involved are the ones that Washington deems to be strategic, he said.

"We are negotiating specific sectoral deals with them, which would likely persist with a revised USMCA," Carney said.

Earlier this week, Carney said he had a "meeting of minds" with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on the future of the steel and aluminum sectors, which are currently facing U.S. tariffs.

He cited the "huge advantage" that Canada compared to the rest of the world, noting that 85% of goods exported to the U.S. are tariff-free. Still, damaging tariffs remain on imports of Canadian steel, aluminum and autos. 

"Negotiations are tough, but we've come a long way in the last year," Carney said. "We're looking for things that other countries have not received."