WASHINGTON, Feb 25 - U.S. trade officials and their Canadian counterparts held a phone conversation on Wednesday and have scheduled a follow-up meeting in Washington in the coming weeks, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a broadcast interview.
Greer told the Fox Business Network program Mornings with Maria that the two sides are preparing to sit down in person after their discussions earlier in the day. He said he spoke with his Canadian trade counterpart on Wednesday morning and that officials would assemble in Washington "in a couple weeks."
On the program, Greer said Canada has presented several ideas about how a deal might be structured and that the Trump administration is receptive to considering them. "They have a few ideas on how they might want to have a deal with us. We're obviously open to that," he said. He added: "We're open to talk, and we'll see what they have to say."
Greer's comments indicate that talks are at an exploratory stage, with Canadian proposals under consideration but no agreement yet finalized. Representatives for Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc could not be reached immediately for comment, according to Greer's remarks.
The announcement did not include details on the specific topics to be discussed at the upcoming meeting, the scope of Canadian proposals, or any timetable for reaching a potential deal. Greer confined his comments to the fact of the phone call, the intention to meet in Washington, and his appraisal that the administration is open to Canadian ideas.
For now, officials from both capitals appear to be moving toward direct negotiation, with a face-to-face session planned in the near term. The coming weeks will reveal whether the ideas Canada has presented lead to a concrete framework for agreement or remain points for further discussion.
Until Canadian trade minister representatives respond to requests for comment or the Washington meeting yields more public detail, the substance and outcome of these nascent talks remain limited to the outline provided by Greer during his television interview.
Key quotes from the interview
- "They have a few ideas on how they might want to have a deal with us. We're obviously open to that."
- "We're open to talk, and we'll see what they have to say."
- Greer said he spoke with his trade counterpart earlier on Wednesday and that they would meet in Washington "in a couple weeks."