Tariff deal remains elusive after Trump's meeting with Canadian PM

OTTAWA: A meeting between US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday ended without a concrete agreement to end the punitive US tariffs, reported Xinhua quoting local media.

Canada-US Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc described the talks as "successful, positive and substantive," but gave no details on why a deal has not been reached.

According to the reports, LeBlanc will remain in Washington to continue negotiations after the prime minister's departure, with discussions focusing on the steel, aluminum and energy sectors.

The two leaders met at the White House in a bid to resolve the ongoing trade dispute that has hit key sectors in Canada, including steel, aluminum, auto manufacturing and forestry.

During the meeting, Trump characterised Canada as an economic competitor with whom the United States has a "natural conflict," expressing his desire to replace Canadian-made cars and steel with domestic production. He also ruled out a completely tariff-free deal, saying, "We are going to have tariffs."

The meeting took place amid increasing political pressure on Carney.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Tuesday urged Carney to "start hitting back" with retaliatory tariffs if no deal is reached soon.

Meanwhile, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre criticised the prime minister for failing to secure progress for Canada, saying, "Still no deal, still no victory."