Federal cabinet ministers will fan out across the country in the days ahead to reassure companies of support they can access during the escalating Canada-U.S. trade war, while Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office says his focus as formal talks with Washington remain stalled is on attracting investment and stimulating economic growth.
Two sources said ministers such as Industry Minister Mélanie Joly and Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne will step up a media blitz, including meetings with businesses and chambers of commerce. This will involve guiding companies through the process of applying for support. The Globe and Mail is not identifying the sources, who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Audrey Champoux, deputy director of communications in the Prime Minister’s Office, said Mr. Carney’s priorities right now include affordable housing, new infrastructure and next week’s federal investment summit to attract foreign capital to Canada, as well as this fall’s federal budget.
She said Mr. Carney’s government, which has set a goal of doubling non-U.S. trade over a decade, will continue to focus on “building at home and diversifying trade abroad.”
“Our government will always stand up for Canada and focus on what we can control while we will build Canada strong for all,” Ms. Champoux said in a statement.
She also suggested the coming budget will introduce measures to boost Canada’s economic attractiveness.
“This fall, in Budget 2026, we will go further to make Canada one of the most competitive and attractive places in the world for businesses and strategic sectors to invest, build, and grow.”
Mr. Carney met with Quebec business leaders Tuesday to discuss the Canada-U.S. trade war and talk about how to boost growth and investment in this country, the Prime Minister’s Office said. It listed 20 companies that attended, including Power Corporation of Canada, Desjardins Group, Saputo, Metro, Intact Financial and Lightspeed.
Trade relations between Canada and the U.S. worsened Tuesday after retaliatory tariffs from Ottawa took effect on $28-billion of U.S. goods including steel, aluminum, dairy, wood, appliances and electronics. This is dollar-for-dollar retaliation for tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump imposed on Aug. 22 after trade talks between the two countries collapsed.
Mr. Trump fired back Tuesday evening by issuing a sweeping ban on imports of Canadian alcohol, motorcycles and some dairy products to the U.S., as well as new 50-per-cent tariffs on a wide range of other goods, including cheeses, paper and aluminum products, and furniture. Most of the new bans and tariffs are set to take effect on Sept. 29.
In late August, Mr. Carney unveiled a $7.5-billion support package for Canadian workers and businesses affected by American tariffs, such as a range of loan programs for businesses.
With an eye to bolstering alliances, Mr. Carney is preparing for a Canada-European Union summit that will be hosted in Canada from Oct. 29 to 30, where he will make good on an August, 2026, pledge to deepen ties with the bloc as part of diversifying away from the United States. “We will begin intense discussions with the EU, the world’s second-largest economy, to build a much stronger and deeper economic and security partnership,” the Prime Minister announced last month.
Mr. Carney is also slated to address the European Parliament next week and attend the European Union’s State of the Union address, delivered by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Geneviève Tuts, the European Union’s ambassador to Canada, said in an interview Tuesday that the two jurisdictions will go beyond a roadmap unveiled in June, 2025, when Mr. Carney and Brussels announced more than 40 commitments they would undertake to strengthen co-operation, including on trade and economic security.
“There is a strong willingness on both sides to elevate the partnership,” Ms. Tuts said. “We will do more than what has been announced in June, 2025.”
Brian Clow, who served as deputy chief of staff to former prime minister Justin Trudeau, said Canada must prepare “for this trade war to drag on” for some time. “The Americans don’t seem to want to negotiate, and certainly don’t seem to want to back off their demands or lower their tariffs significantly.”
Mr. Clow, who worked on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement during his years in the Prime Minister’s Office, said Ottawa must nevertheless keep channels of communication open with the Americans. United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer reportedly planned to speak Tuesday with Dominic LeBlanc, the Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade.
“Whether that turns into meaningful negotiations again, who knows?” Mr. Clow said.
Mr. Carney spoke to Canadians in a prerecorded address Tuesday about the mounting trade war, warning of economic hardship that would accompany this conflict with Washington.
Posted by IHateTrains123