'We have more work to do', says Canada negotiator as US trade deadline looms
Canadian trade minister Dominic LeBlanc is in Washington for final negotiations to secure a trade deal with the US before a midnight deadline. The potential agreement involves adjustments to steel, aluminum, and automobile tariffs, as well as changes to Canadian dairy market access.
Why it matters
The outcome of these negotiations will significantly impact North American trade relations and the economic stability of key industries in both Canada and the US.
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Canada-US trade minister Dominic LeBlanc has been in Washington for two weeks trying to hammer out a deal
Canada-US trade minister Dominic LeBlanc said negotiators "have more work to do" as he left a meeting with US counterparts ahead of a midnight deadline to finalise a tentative trade deal with the Trump administration.
"We're going to continue working up until the last minute," he told reporters in Washington on Friday evening. "Our job is not finished."
Negotiators have until Friday night to hammer out the details of the deal or risk a fresh wave of additional US tariffs on a wide range of Canadian goods.
LeBlanc spent some eight hours in meetings with US trade representative Jamieson Greer and other negotiators - one of the longest sessions so far as talks go down to the wire.
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