HUNTSVILLE, ONTARIO, CANADA – Canada’s premiers have wrapped up three days of meetings focused largely on U.S. President Donald Trump’s global trade war.
The premiers who form the Council of the Federation have been full of praise for one another and for Prime Minister Mark Carney, who joined the meeting in Huntsville, Ont., on Tuesday for a discussion about trade talks with the U.S.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the Americans are signalling they will not start renegotiating the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade until 2026, something she called disappointing.
But Smith says she will see it as a win if Canada can secure some deals by Aug. 1 on specific sectors like vehicles, steel and aluminum, and lumber.
The premiers also called on the federal government to improve the country’s relationship with China.
The group insists it’s also focused on pressing issues here at home, with B.C. Premier David Eby saying health care and the cost of living are perennial priorities.
— Written by Liam Casey in Huntsville, Ont., and Sarah Ritchie in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2025.
