US Commerce Secretary: Canada walked away from trade deal for political reasons

United States Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has accused Canada of abruptly ending trade negotiations over tariffs for purely political reasons. Lutnick asserted that a deal was on the table and had been agreed upon before Canada decided to withdraw.

"We negotiated and Canada was going to have the best trade deal in the world, but what happened was Canada walked away. We had a deal. We shook hands. The president announced it, right? Everyone was optimistic. Canada made the decision for political reasons. They wanted to walk away. This is pure politics," Lutnick stated.

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We negotiated and Canada was going to have the best trade deal in the world, but what happened was Canada walked away. We had a deal. We shook hands. The president announced it, right? Everyone was optimistic. Canada made the decision for political reasons. They wanted to walk away. This is pure politics.

He suggested that upcoming elections in Canada, particularly the influence of the sovereignist movement in Quebec and a resolution in Alberta favoring independence, prompted Ottawa's decision. Lutnick predicted that Canadian negotiators would return after the elections to accept the previously agreed-upon terms, implying Canada is using the situation for internal political gain.

Conversely, Canadian Minister Dominic LeBlanc welcomed the US withdrawal of positions on labeling and confirmed that measures promoting the French language and Canadian culture would not be subject to future US trade actions. LeBlanc expressed hope for further constructive clarifications from the US, which could pave the way for a mutually beneficial trade agreement that upholds Canadian sovereignty.

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Canada welcomes that the United States is now withdrawing its positions on labeling, and is confirming that measures to promote the French language and Canadian culture will not be subject to future commercial actions by the United States.