OTTAWA — Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew expressed his dislike on Thursday for the current interim trade deal being finalized by Canadian and American negotiators, but acknowledged the need for the federal government to get an agreement.
“The deal will not be right for me, I expect,” said Kinew, during a press conference in Winnipeg on Thursday. “But it’s not about me, it’s about team Canada.”
The premier said there will be tariffs in the deal, but he was waiting on the exact details.
The premiers were briefed about the state of negotiations by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump hit pause on tariffs set to hit $29 billion worth of Canadian goods, citing a tentative trade deal with Canada.
In that meeting, Carney asked the premiers to put U.S. alcohol back on their shelves and end the moratorium in the provinces. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston told reporters he was willing to end the ban in his province, if an agreement is reached.
Kinew said he thinks Canada should fight a “weak” Trump and argued Canadian consumers should not buy U.S. alcohol products, even if they are returned to provincial shelves.
“What I would say to Canadians is leave it there,” said Kinew. “If we put the booze back on the shelves, don’t buy it.”
The premier said he also reserves the right to take U.S. booze off the shelf again, given the unpredictability of Trump’s trade policy.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s office made no comment on the prime minister’s request. Meanwhile, Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette said she will make a decision on the return of U.S. alcohol after an analysis on the impact the potential deal will have on Quebec’s economy.
LeBlanc and Chief Trade Negotiator Janice Charette were in Washington on Thursday, meeting with United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to finalize the agreement. They were joined by the prime minister’s chief of staff Marc-André Blanchard and Canada’s Ambassador to the United States Mark Wiseman.
After that meeting, LeBlanc told reporters that his team was “very close” to a deal.
“We continue to make progress, and we’re going to stay here and do the work that’s necessary until we get to that point,” he said.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand was also in Washington on Thursday, meeting with her counterpart United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Carney spoke with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum by phone on Thursday, where they discussed the recent developments on North American trade.
“They underscored the importance of renewing the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) as soon as possible to provide greater certainty for North American businesses and workers,” a readout from the prime minister’s office said. “The leaders discussed the progress between Canada and Mexico on cross-border trade.”
National Post
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