Conservatives press for transparency on rejected U.S. trade offer
As new U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods took effect over the weekend, the federal Conservatives are demanding that the government release the full details of the trade agreement that Canada rejected on Friday. In a letter to Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Conservative Canada-U.S. relations critic Shuvaloy Majumdar said his party supports the decision to walk away but argues Parliament has been kept in the dark about what was on the table.
"If there was a draft text of any agreement that both governments have seen, please release it. The U.S. administration has seen it. Your government has seen it. Canadians deserve to see it," Majumdar wrote. He stressed he is not asking for negotiating secrets, but rather information that both governments already possess.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre echoed that call in a Sunday letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, urging him to reconvene Parliament so Canadians can see the deal text and judge what options were considered. "Canadians must see it to judge what options are on the table," Poilievre wrote. He also asked how much Carney's trade policies will cost Canadians in higher groceries, gas and other prices, and how the government plans to protect steel, aluminum, lumber and auto manufacturing jobs.
Poilievre framed the moment as a defining crisis, saying Parliament's duty to hold the government accountable "has never been more pressing." He pointed to the failure to secure a durable trade agreement, combined with escalating tariffs, as threatening "deeper economic pain on top of a decade of rising costs and zero economic growth."
Majumdar separately accused the Liberals of previously providing incomplete or inaccurate information, citing the Gordie Howe International Bridge, where Canadians were told debts would be fully repaid before negotiations—a claim he said proved false once the agreement became public. He also criticized Carney's handling of counter-tariffs and his comments about U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated suggestions that Canada become the 51st state, saying the prime minister's promise to secure a trade "win" with Trump has fallen short.
Carney defends decision to walk away
Prime Minister Mark Carney suspended trade negotiations with the United States on Friday. On Saturday, Trump imposed 50 percent tariffs on a wide range of Canadian goods, including some that fall within the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). The new tariffs apply to approximately $28 billion of Canadian goods, according to one report, while another put the figure at about $29 billion in Canadian imports.
Carney has said the United States introduced last-minute measures that were unacceptable, including limiting auto treatment to autos only and not including medium and heavy-duty trucks, restricting Canada's ability to strike trade deals with other countries, and elements that would have touched on protections of language, culture and sovereignty. "In short, they asked too much and offered too little," he said. He described the demands as a "power play."
"You're at war when you get attacked. We got attacked," Carney said, announcing that Canada will match the tariffs dollar-for-dollar on roughly $28 billion of goods starting September 8, after Labour Day. He also pledged a $25 billion investment to protect workers and businesses affected by the tariffs.
A range of premiers responded to the collapse of talks. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said he fully supports Carney's decision to walk away, arguing Canada should fight back rather than appease Trump. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe called the new tariffs a clear violation of CUSMA. B.C. Premier David Eby said a U.S. request that Canada not trade with other countries would reduce Canada to the economic equivalent of the 51st state. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the prime minister has his full support for a tariff-for-tariff response, adding that Trump cannot be trusted. N.W.T. Premier R.J. Simpson said Carney was right to walk away rather than accept a deal at any cost, and that the North is ready to create jobs and strengthen supply chains. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, however, said she is "deeply disappointed" no deal was reached and urged the federal government to restart negotiations as soon as possible.
U.S. officials counter Canada's account
U.S. officials have offered a different version of events. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Canada declined to finalize the deal and "upended" the balance reached in negotiations, despite a U.S. offer of best treatment and significant tariff reductions on steel, aluminum, autos and lumber. In comments reported by the New York Times, Greer said the U.S. offered Canada reduced tariffs on steel, aluminum and autos, as well as elimination of the 10 percent tariff on softwood lumber.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that Canada would be "foolish" to think it could win a trade war with the United States, saying it would be "devastating for his country." Trump, in a Truth Social post, said Canada wants the benefits of being a U.S. state without being one, and claimed Canada has charged U.S. farmers massive tariffs for many years.
Economic fallout and industry concerns
The tariffs are already prompting warnings about economic damage. B.C. Chamber of Commerce CEO Jen Riley said job losses are "inevitable," with small and medium-sized businesses bearing a disproportionate burden. Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette said the tariffs will affect about $7.7 billion of exports from Quebec. Eastern Canadian premiers, including P.E.I.'s Rob Lantz and New Brunswick's Susan Holt, renewed pleas for residents to buy local in response to the tariffs.
The impact is being felt across the border as well. A Minnesota school community faces an extra $7,000 cost for a mascot costume due to the new tariffs. The Aluminium Association of Canada's CEO, Jean Simard, said Canada produces 3.3 million tonnes of aluminium annually, 90 percent of which is exported, with 90 percent of those exports going to the U.S. He said U.S. customers are paying $1,500 to $2,000 more per ton than Europe due to the tariffs.
International trade lawyer Ljiljana Stanić said the collapse of the talks was "unexpected," and it seemed the United States was trying to build a "fortress North America." Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said the reported deal terms, which included permanent auto-sector tariffs, would not have brought back jobs at the idled Stellantis Brampton Assembly Plant. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business's president, Dan Kelly, said 40 percent of small exporters sell items on the new list facing 50 percent tariffs.
Political reactions and calls for briefings
While the Conservatives are pressing for full public disclosure, other opposition parties have stopped short of demanding that. A Bloc Québécois spokesperson would not say whether the party supports public release of the details, but reiterated calls for a meeting of recognized party leaders for a briefing. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said party leaders should be briefed but stopped short of demanding that trade details be made public. Former Conservative deputy leader Lisa Raitt said she hopes Carney will brief opposition members, adding, "It's openness that's needed."
As the tariff dispute continues to escalate, the political debate in Ottawa is increasingly focused on accountability and the public's right to know what was on the table before Canada walked away.