Canada welcomes US shift on French language discoverability in trade talks
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Canada's top trade negotiator Dominic LeBlanc welcomed a US shift on French language discoverability, labelling and cultural promotion measures not being subject to tariffs. LeBlanc said Canada looks forward to further constructive US clarifications that could lead to a mutually beneficial trade agreement. The comments come amid tit-for-tat tariffs after negotiations collapsed over the weekend.
Key Facts
- Dominic LeBlanc welcomed the US position that French language discoverability, labelling and cultural promotion measures would not be subject to tariffs.
- Canada announced retaliatory tariffs on roughly $20bn of US goods ranging from 15 to 50 percent, effective September 8.
- US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called the French language dispute 'manufactured' and said the US never brought up those words.
- US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America.
US Position Shift
US Trade Representative Jamison Greer told CBC that French language discoverability on streaming services 'is not something where we push hard or condition or red-line'. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick echoed those comments at a news conference outside the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Lutnick said the US never brought up those words and called the dispute 'manufactured'. President Trump posted on Truth Social that the claim was a complete lie.
Tariff Dispute
Canada announced retaliatory tariffs on roughly $20bn of US goods ranging from 15 to 50 percent, effective September 8. Those levies were in response to 50 percent tariffs announced by Washington on Canadian goods as negotiations collapsed over the weekend. On Wednesday, Ottawa scaled back some tariffs, including those on fish and other seafood products. Canada's Department of Finance said the adjustments were made to protect against economic harms.
Political Rhetoric
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Saturday that US officials made threats to the French language and to Canadian and Quebec culture. President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America. The order targets the easternmost of the five Great Lakes, which borders Ontario.
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Canada welcomes US shift on French language discoverability in trade talks
