Canada-U.S. Trade Negotiations: Canadians deserve answers

Posted on September 24, 2026 by admin

Glen Motz, MP

Throughout the summer, Canadians have been gripped by the trade drama unfolding between Canada and the United States. With millions of Canadian jobs and livelihoods tied to access to the American market, the stakes could hardly be higher.

The government has presented its decision to walk away from negotiations as an act of strength. Recent polling suggests many Canadians support that decision, with more than three-quarters expressing support for Canada walking away from the proposed deal and 69 per cent saying Mark Carney showed strength by refusing terms he believed were not in Canada’s interest.

Canadians should always expect their government to stand up for Canada. But there is an important problem with these numbers: Canadians have not actually been given the opportunity to judge the agreement for themselves. The details of the proposed deal remain undisclosed, and Canadians still do not know precisely what Canada was offered, what Canada requested, or why the government ultimately decided to walk away.

Mark Carney has referred to “unfair” and “uneconomic” terms that allegedly threatened Canada’s ability to pursue future trade agreements, as well as demands concerning Canadian languages, culture and sovereignty. But Canadians deserve more than broad assurances. They deserve to understand what was actually on the table.

The American account of the negotiations has also been markedly different. U.S. officials have suggested that an agreement was largely within reach before Canada returned with additional requests. One American official characterized Canada’s approach as turning a serious trade discussion into a “political shouting match.”

Canadians deserve to know which account is accurate.

This is not about asking the government to reveal sensitive negotiating positions or undermine any future talks. It is about basic accountability. If Canadian workers, businesses and families are going to bear the consequences of a breakdown in negotiations, they deserve to know why the government made the decision it did.

Mark Carney promised Canadians a better trade deal by July 21, 2025—one that would benefit workers in industries such as aluminum, steel, autos and lumber. The government deserves some sympathy for having to negotiate with a tough and unpredictable American president. Canadians are rightly frustrated by the uncertainty created by President Trump’s tariff policies.

But that makes the government’s lack of preparation over the past year all the more concerning.

Both Conservatives and Liberals understand the economic threat facing Canada. The difference is that Conservatives have consistently argued that Canada must use this moment to become stronger at home, unleash our resources and make ourselves indispensable to the world.

More than a year ago, Conservatives supported measures that could have strengthened Canada’s manufacturing base, accelerated major projects, advanced critical mineral and energy development, and removed barriers to investment and economic growth.

Instead, the Liberal government’s wait-and-see approach squandered valuable time. Canada cannot afford to wait any longer. Conservatives are calling for an emergency Economic Action Plan to strengthen our economy by cutting taxes, approving major projects and unleashing investment. The plan would green-light the 500 projects awaiting federal permits, scrap federal gas taxes until next Canada Day, remove the GST from Canadian-made automobiles, eliminate capital gains tax on reinvestments in Canada, end the Industrial Carbon Tax, and repeal Bills C-48 and C-69.

These are the kinds of measures Canada needs now—not only to respond to the immediate threat posed by American tariffs, but to build an economy that is more competitive, self-reliant and resilient for the long term. A country that wants leverage in trade negotiations needs something to sell to the world. Canada has enormous reserves of energy, critical minerals, agricultural products and other resources that the United States and our allies need. We should be using that strength.

The stakes are enormous. Approximately 2.5 million Canadian jobs depend on exports to the United States. One-sided tariffs that threaten to deindustrialize parts of our economy represent an existential challenge. If Canadian workers and businesses are expected to pay the price, the government owes them transparency about the decisions being made on their behalf.

That includes transparency around counter-tariffs. Canadians deserve to know what these measures will cost businesses and consumers, how much revenue they generate, and whether that money will actually be returned to those most affected.

There is, however, another lesson emerging from this trade dispute: Canada needs to become better at trading with itself.

The U.S. president may have accomplished something Canadian politicians have failed to do for decades. Canadians are finally recognizing that we do not trade with each other nearly as freely as we should.

The IMF has estimated that Canada’s internal trade barriers are equivalent to a nine per cent tariff on ourselves, and that removing those barriers could increase the size of our economy by seven per cent.

For too long, Canadians have faced a patchwork of provincial licensing systems, product standards, trucking regulations, professional credentials and administrative requirements that make it unnecessarily difficult to buy, sell and work across provincial borders. These barriers increase costs and ultimately leave Canadians paying more for essentials.

We should embrace broad mutual recognition of goods, services and labour across Canada, making restrictions the exception rather than the rule.

Canada cannot control what happens in Washington. But we can control whether we build the strongest, most competitive and self-reliant economy possible here at home.

The government’s decision to walk away from negotiations at the last minute has left Canadians with more questions than answers. We are facing a potentially generational challenge to our economy, and Canadians deserve to know the government’s plan: what sectors are at risk, what will be the economic impact, and is there a path back to the negotiating table?

Conservatives will continue to provide the strong and constructive Official Opposition Canadians deserve. We will stand up for workers, businesses and communities, demand accountability from the government, and push for the bold economic measures Canada needs to attract investment, unleash our resources, remove internal trade barriers and secure good jobs for the future.

Canada cannot control the actions of the United States. But we can control how strong we make Canada.