LeBlanc, the Carney government’s minister of just about everything, has spent much of this week in Washington, D.C.

LeBlanc told reporters in Ottawa that he was surprised by a news report which said a deal with the Trump administration could be finalized in the next few days.

Canada has launched public consultations on the scheduled review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, but the priority remains obtaining relief from U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum, autos and lumber, federal minister Dominic LeBlanc said.

Canadian autoworkers face uncertainty as US automakers shift EV plans, leaving plants and jobs in the balance.

Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters that Canada will not permit unfair US access to its markets if current trade talks do not yield progress, emphasizing, “If we ultimately don’t make progress in these various sectors, we’re going to do what’s necessary to protect our workers,” according to BNN Bloomberg .

The Ontario Premier said that Mr. Trump, who commented Tuesday on a Canadian television ad opposing tariffs, appears to have heard the province’s new $75-million ad campaign. It features late Republican president Ronald Reagan’s dire warning about the impact of tariffs on the American economy.