Overview

• Prime Minister Mark Carney meets President Donald Trump at the White House on Oct. 7 for a working session on trade and security, with officials warning not to expect a breakthrough.
• Canada’s modest objective is partial easing of U.S. steel tariffs that could serve as a model for reducing other sector-specific measures.
• U.S. actions include 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum, 25% on autos with carve-outs for U.S. parts, a 35% tariff on non‑USMCA goods, and new softwood duties that lift lumber levies to more than 45%.
• Ottawa dropped a proposed digital services tax and rolled back counter-tariffs to restart talks, while turning to import quotas, Buy-Canadian procurement and industry loans to cushion affected sectors.
• Pressure at home is intensifying, with Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre urging Carney to secure concrete tariff relief as Canada and the U.S. launch consultations ahead of the CUSMA review and Washington signals a more bilateral approach.