(Ottawa, Canada) – Prime Minister Mark Carney said Sunday that Canadian and U.S. negotiating teams would work over the coming weeks toward a trade agreement, following a conversation with President Donald Trump.

The Canadian Press reported that the Prime Minister’s Office dated the call to Saturday, October 31. Carney described the discussion as constructive and said an agreement should support jobs and affordability while respecting Canada’s languages, culture and sovereignty.

Trump, speaking in Iowa on Sunday, said the countries had the outlines of a deal and were close to an agreement. He also raised the Keystone XL pipeline in describing negotiations.

The accounts describe negotiations and competing expectations. They do not establish finalized terms, a signed agreement or an implemented tariff change. The Associated Press likewise reported that details remained unsettled.

Sources: The Canadian Press via Durham Radio News, November 2 republication of November 1 report; Associated Press via ABC News, November 1; The Canadian Press via Durham Radio News, November 2 republication of November 1 report; Associated Press via ABC News, November 1.

Earlier reporting — October 26, 2026

(Ottawa, Canada) - Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada–U.S. trade discussions have picked up slightly, while Ottawa has maintained its negotiating position.

Updated October 26: The Associated Press reports that Carney attributed any progress to Washington moving toward Canada’s demands. Dominic LeBlanc’s office described continuing constructive dialogue. These statements do not announce agreed terms.

Separately, Reuters reports that negotiations include possible relief from steel and auto tariffs, citing unnamed U.S. and Canadian sources. The account describes discussions, not an implemented tariff change or a signed deal.

New sources: AP, October 26 Canadian response; Reuters, October 26 negotiations report.

Earlier White House statements

(Port Huron, Michigan, United States) - President Donald Trump predicted the Canada tariff dispute would be settled soon at a Sunday, October 25 rally, Reuters reports. He gave no specifics.

Reuters said Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office had not immediately responded to its request for comment.

In a separate interview with FOX 2 Detroit’s Roop Raj before the rally, Trump offered a variable timeline: possibly months, but potentially before the November 3 election, the station reported.

What changed

The president’s remarks add to White House adviser Kevin Hassett’s earlier optimistic assessment, covered here. Barron’s reported that Hassett described negotiations as advancing after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick spoke with Canadian officials the previous week.

These are assessments of ongoing talks. Neither report establishes a signed agreement or an implemented tariff change.

Sources: Reuters, October 25 rally report; FOX 2 Detroit’s interview report; Barron’s earlier trade-talks report.

Editorial illustration of cross-border cargo and negotiation papers; not a photograph of the talks or a signed agreement.