U.S. ‘Not in a Rush’ to Strike Trade Deal With Canada, Washington’s Trade Envoy Says

By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi / Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada September 25, 2026

The United States says it is not rushing to reach a new trade agreement with Canada, signalling that negotiations will move at Washington’s pace despite growing pressure from businesses on both sides of the border.

The message came from the Trump administration’s trade team as Canada and the United States continue trying to repair relations after trade talks collapsed in August, triggering a new wave of tariffs and retaliatory measures.

The latest comments underline how far apart the two countries remain on key issues, even as both governments say they are prepared to keep negotiating.

Washington says there is no deadline

U.S. officials indicated that the White House is prepared to continue discussions but is not under pressure to conclude a deal quickly.

The Trump administration argues that it has already presented Canada with a favourable proposal and believes negotiations should proceed only when outstanding issues are resolved.

The remarks contrast with earlier expectations that the two countries could quickly rebuild momentum after Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Donald Trump reopened negotiations earlier this year.

Instead, the talks remain stalled over disagreements involving tariffs, automobiles, steel, aluminum and broader market access.

Canada insists sovereignty is not negotiable

Prime Minister Mark Carney has repeatedly said Canada remains open to a mutually beneficial agreement but will not accept terms that weaken the country’s industrial base or economic independence.

After negotiations broke down on August 21, Carney argued that the United States had introduced last-minute demands that Canada considered unacceptable.

He has also called on Washington to adopt a more respectful approach before meaningful negotiations can resume.

Canadian officials have said any future agreement must include guarantees that tariff levels cannot be changed unilaterally by the United States once a deal is signed.

Tariffs continue to strain North America’s economy

The breakdown in negotiations has already had significant economic consequences.

The Trump administration imposed 50 per cent tariffs on billions of dollars’ worth of Canadian exports, while Ottawa responded with retaliatory tariffs targeting U.S. goods.

The dispute has affected sectors including:

• Steel and aluminum

• Automotive manufacturing

• Forestry products

• Agricultural exports

• Cross-border supply chains

Business groups in both countries have warned that prolonged uncertainty could disrupt one of the world’s most integrated trading relationships.

A relationship under pressure

Despite the hardening rhetoric, neither government has walked away from negotiations entirely.

Analysts say both Washington and Ottawa still have strong incentives to reach an agreement because Canada remains America’s largest export market, while the United States is by far Canada’s biggest trading partner.

However, officials on both sides increasingly describe the current relationship as a “new normal”—one in which trade disputes, tariffs and tougher bargaining may become more common than the cooperative approach that characterized previous decades.

For now, Washington’s message is clear: negotiations will continue, but the United States is not in a hurry to finalize a deal, leaving Canadian exporters and businesses facing continued uncertainty as talks remain deadlocked.