Carney says renegotiating CUSMA likely won’t resolve all trade issues with U.S.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump hold a press conference at the White House in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Prime Minister Mark Carney says it’s clear the U.S. will keep targeting certain sectors with tariffs even after the renegotiation of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade.

Talks to update the agreement, known in Canada as CUSMA, are set to start next year but Carney says those talks are unlikely to resolve all outstanding issues.

He says that is why Canada is trying to strike deals in the meantime, on sector specific tariffs like steel, aluminum, autos and softwood lumber.

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc returned from Washington today, saying discussions will continue with U.S. officials to press for tariff relief.

During a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Carney at the White House on Tuesday, Trump told reporters there will still be tariffs on Canada going forward and he doesn’t care if CUSMA is renegotiated or replaced with different deals.

The vast majority of Canadian trade with the U.S. is exempted from tariffs because of the trade deal, but Trump has targeted the steel, aluminum, auto, energy and lumber sectors with tariffs.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2025.

With files from Kelly Geraldine Malone in Washington, D.C.