Canada’s chief negotiator Dominic LeBlanc said Thursday that Ottawa welcomed the change, describing it as a potential step toward reopening discussions on a mutually beneficial trade agreement, Anadolu Agency reported.
“Canada welcomes that the U.S. is now withdrawing its positions on discoverability and labelling,” LeBlanc said in a post on X, adding that Washington had confirmed measures supporting the French language and Canadian culture would not be targeted by future US trade actions.
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The development comes after trade talks between the two countries broke down last week over US demands that Canada viewed as an attack on its sovereignty.
The dispute had threatened to trigger new US tariffs of 50% on about C$27 billion ($29.5 billion) worth of Canadian goods. The US subsequently imposed tariffs on roughly 700 products, while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans for matching tariffs on US imports starting Sept. 8.
LeBlanc said Canada hoped Washington would provide further clarification on other disputed issues, potentially allowing negotiations to restart.
However, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said there were currently no “open channels” between the two countries.
The latest dispute follows months of tensions over trade and tariffs between Washington and Ottawa, with both governments facing pressure to protect their domestic economies while avoiding further escalation.
Canada has also adjusted its planned retaliatory tariffs based on feedback from businesses. Finance Canada said it had removed seafood and fish products from the proposed counter-tariff list to limit broader economic damage while maintaining its commitment to respond to US measures on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
