LeBlanc meets U.S. trade rep at G7, says talks not a ‘one-way conversation’

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc says trade talks with his American counterpart on a critical continental trade pact are not a “one-way conversation.”

LeBlanc met with United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of the G7 in France today.

He says they took stock of Canada’s progress on resolving trade irritants raised by the United States and Greer listened to Canadian concerns.

LeBlanc and Greer met in Washington earlier this month after Ottawa and Mexico City said they wanted a 16-year extension of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade.

Greer has indicated that he is not looking to rubber-stamp the trade pact, which goes up for a mandatory review in July.

Official negotiations between Mexico and the United States have launched but Ottawa and Washington have not started talks yet.