Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he will meet with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer late next week in Washington, D.C.

The discussions comes as both countries are preparing for the mandatory review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade.

LeBlanc told the Canadian Club Toronto today that he’s not pessimistic about the future of the trilateral trade deal because the U.S. maintained a continued CUSMA exemption when President Donald Trump announced new tariffs recently.

The minister says American officials have been engaged in a “public prosecution” of trade ties ahead of formal talks but insists the private discussions have not been discouraging.

LeBlanc, who recently returned from a trade mission to Mexico, told the Canadian Club Toronto both Canada and Mexico want to see the U.S. commit to CUSMA.

LeBlanc says Canada was close to getting a deal on sectoral tariffs for things like steel and aluminum in the fall, before Trump abruptly ended talks in response to an anti-tariff American TV add produced by the Ontario government.

More to come…