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US-Canada trade talks collapse, raising risk of wider tariff fight
Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney said the breakdown came after the US objected to Canadian rules tied to French language and content requirements.
The Guardian Business reports that the collapse of US-Canada trade talks has increased the risk the dispute escalates into an all-out tariff fight between the two closely connected economies. The outlet says an apparent pending deal aimed at avoiding tit-for-tat tariffs broke down at the last minute, with Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney describing Canada as being “under attack” from the US.
According to The Guardian Business, one point of disagreement involved Canadian accusations that US negotiators pressed for weaker legal protections for the French language, which is most heavily spoken in Quebec. Canada’s provisions include requirements for certain streaming and online video companies to invest in and promote Canadian content and promote the French language, Carney said the US objections were a deal breaker.
The outlet adds that US trade representative Jamieson Greer responded to accusations connected to French language issues by dismissing them as unfounded and emphasizing his own ties to French. By Thursday, The Guardian Business reports Greer was seen as taking a softer line on the language issue, which some Canadian officials viewed as a potential olive branch.