Trudeau says Canadians must stay 'strong and united' in face of U.S. negotiations

OTTAWA — Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canadians must stay “strong and united” in order for the federal government to get a good deal with the United States.

Trudeau, who has largely stayed out of policy debates since exiting politics in January 2025, spoke briefly to media after attending the inauguration of the Canada’s first 2SLGBTQI+ National Monument near Parliament Hill.

When asked to comment on the ongoing trade negotiations with the U.S., Trudeau said the only reason he was able to get a “good deal” when renegotiating NAFTA with U.S. President Donald Trump in 2018 was Canadians’ unity.

“I had the opportunity and the challenge a number of years ago of renegotiating NAFTA, and the reason we got to a good deal was because Canadians were strong, Canadians were united,” Trudeau said.

“I see Canadians right across the country strong and united again about standing up for our country and our values. And I know that’s going to help the government get to the right place,” he added.

Trudeau was prime minister when Canada renegotiated the NAFTA free-trade deal with the U.S. and Mexico in 2018, during Trump’s first presidency. The new deal was rebranded CUSMA. The Trump administration has since described the deal the president negotiated at the time as a “bad deal”.

Canada and the U.S. are currently in what appear to be the final throes of weeks of intense negotiations to reach a deal that would help avert new 50 per cent tariffs on $29 billion-worth of Canadian goods.

Those tariffs were initially set to kick in at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, but Trump extended the deadline until midnight Friday Aug. 21 while negotiators got closer and closer to a deal.

“Our farmers are going to be thrilled; our manufacturers are going to be thrilled,” Trump said, during a press conference in Washington on Wednesday. “And basically, we have no tariffs going into Canada anymore.”

Very little information has trickled out from the Canadian side on the state of the negotiations, or even what Canada is willing to concede to Trump in exchange for preventing new tariffs and relief on existing ones.

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Chief Trade Negotiator Janice Charette held a new round of meetings with their American counterparts on Friday. The day before, LeBlanc told reporters both sides were “very close” to a deal.

On Thursday afternoon, Carney and LeBlanc briefed provincial leaders on some details of the agreement to date. Following the meeting, multiple premiers confirmed that Carney had asked them to be ready to return U.S. alcohol on provincial liquor store shelves as a concession to Trump.

“I wouldn’t say that he was begging us, but what is a step before begging?,” Kinew told reporters of Carney’s ask on booze.

“The deal will not be right for me, I expect,” he added. “But it’s not about me, it’s about team Canada.”

National Post

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