Conversations on trade with U.S. officials haven’t stopped: LeBlanc

BANFF — Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc says that while Canada isn’t currently in official trade negotiations with the U.S., officials on both sides are still talking.

LeBlanc is in Banff, Alta, for the two-day Liberal cabinet retreat, where the ongoing trade war with the United States is a key topic.

He says he has no meetings in Washington scheduled but he has spoken several times with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and sometimes speaks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as well.

LeBlanc says it’s important to be ready for a possible deal that respects Canadian sovereignty and is the country’s national interest.