LILLEY: Trade deal with U.S. by Sunday? Depends who you talk to ...

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Talks between Canada and the United States to get a trade deal continue, but whether it will come before the G7 appears up in the air. Politicos and business insiders appear divided on whether a deal will be announced in the next few days, but all say talks are headed in the right direction.

Despite his “elbows up” rhetoric and declarations that the relationship with the United States is over, Prime Minister Mark Carney and his government have been in fervent talks with the Trump administration all along.

“It’s a very dynamic situation,” Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said to reporters Wednesday. “You know, we’ve been engaging with our friends in, in the United States.”

Indeed, Dominic LeBlanc, the PM’s point man on this file has been in Washington for talks on a regular basis over the past several months. That led to the talks moving to the point where Prime Minister Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump were speaking directly.

One politico with knowledge of the ongoing talks expressed concern that momentum had fizzled since last week when Trump because distracted from his public, and toxic, break-up with Elon Musk. A senior source in Ottawa said that has not affected the talks or the momentum towards a possible deal.

Still, some on the business side are feeling less than optimistic that a deal will happen before the G7.

“I have my doubts,” said one industry insider speaking on background.

As some see the talks slowing down, going quiet, others see the possibility of a deal soon.

“They are working hard to get the deal done,” said another politico with a view to what is happening.

Initially, the idea was to try and hammer out a high-level deal, similar to what the United States and United Kingdom arrived at last month. That deal was a brief document with the in-depth details to be worked out later.

Last week it appeared a similar deal was in the works for Canada, now, though, some business leaders believe announcing this week is a step too far.

“I don’t think so, said Goldy Hyder, president of the Business Council of Canada, when asked about a deal this week.

Hyder said he was aware that officials were working towards trying to announce this week, prior to the G7, but called the idea ambitious at this point. Despite doubting a deal would come this week, he added that he remains confident that a deal is not far off.

In a statement issued Monday by the Business Council, Hyder applauded the Carney government’s decision to invite Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to the G7 and encouraged Carney, Sheinbaum and Trump to talk trade in Kananaskis.

“In addition to strengthening bilateral ties between Mexico and Canada, we encourage the two leaders, together with President Donald Trump, to commit our three countries to the expedited review and extension of our trilateral trade agreement,” the statement said.

A deal is still possible given what happened between the U.S. and China on Wednesday.

“Our deal with China is done,” Trump posted to his Truth Social early Wednesday morning.

Details, of course, are not available, those will be hammered out later, but this is how Trump does business. To get a deal, this is how Canada will need to do business, reach a high-level deal and negotiate the details later.

Now isn’t the time for tough rhetoric or getting your “elbows up” as Carney and the Liberals repeatedly said during the election. Now is the time for taking the steps needed to get tariffs lifted on Canadian industry.

A deal is still possible before Sunday. Let’s get it done.

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